She Said - He Said
by samekraemer
Summary: **I'M REPOSTING THIS...IT DISAPPEARED AND I'M NOT SURE WHY. STAY WITH ME.** A girl...a boy...a common connection...her brother. Can they get passed the brother and make a connection? AU/AH. Canon couples. Language, lemons, and love. If you're new, welcome, if you're in progress, please stay with me. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

SHE SAID…HE SAID.

There are two sides to every love story. Bella Swan, a photography major at a liberal arts college in Indiana had a lot to contend with…overbearing parents, a roommate she didn't know at all, and a prankster brother who brought along a best friend for whom she fell hard. Unfortunately, she couldn't tell him or show him, but it didn't mean that she didn't have the feelings.

Edward Cullen's best friend was a great guy, if not a bit over-the-top. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The problem he had with Emmett Swan was…his little sister. Waiting for her to grow up and get out of the clenches of her family had been difficult. Once she did, could he act on his feelings? Would she return them? What would he do about his own overbearing parents?

A/H. E/B and canon couples all around. OOC, of course. The first half of the story is told by her. The second half is told by him. Rated M for all the right reasons…language, under-age drinking, lemons, adult situations…you know the drill.

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_**A/N: So, we finished up "Trip of a Lifetime" and I'm ready to put up another story. Now, do me a favor and don't just write it off as another "college love affair." I have it on very good authority that it's different than many others, so give me five minutes and give it a read. **_

_**I'm happy to say that I've been able to coerce the lovely Scorpio11 to pre-read for me. She's been so kind as to agree to offer her insights into my grammatical shortcomings and errant punctuation errors, but most of all she's going to keep me on the rails. Oh, P, you didn't know you signed up for that? Oops : )**_

_**So, shall we? SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. I own this idea, but I'd never infringe.**_

_**The A/N's won't be this long, I promise…**_

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SHE SAID…

Chapter 1. Welcome to Blaire House

"Emmett, please be careful…" _Crash…_" with that box. Dammit, you ass. That has pictures in it," I snapped as I walked into my dorm room behind him with an armload of clothes on hangers.

"Hey, you should have labeled the box like I suggested, Silver Bells," he teased. I cringed. As much as I loved my stupid oaf of a brother, I hated most of the shit he did, and the nickname he'd hung on me wasn't the worst of it.

The _first_ best day of my life was the day when my mom and dad took Emmett to college. It was his freshman year, and he was going to Notre Dame on a football scholarship. I was fifteen-years old at the time, and he had tormented me from birth, so I was looking forward to having the rest of my high school years Emmett-free. He was a jock in school, and I was the ugly little sister who was forced on him when he went out to do things with his friends. It didn't promote a lot of unconditional adoration between us.

Emmett teased the shit out of me because of my braces. I'd fallen…been shoved by my brother…off the front porch the summer before he started college, and of course, I landed on my face. I broke my nose and loosened my two front teeth, thus the metal in my mouth. Emmett started calling me Silver Bells, and all of his friends picked up on it. I'd hoped that it would be forgotten when he went away, but alas, as my luck always went, he most certainly didn't let it go.

"Bella, where would you like this?" Edward asked sweetly. He was the reason for the _second_ best day in my life. When Emmett came home for spring break his freshman year, he brought Edward with him because Edward's parents were taking his little sister, Katelyn, on a cruise and he didn't want to go.

When he walked into our house, my world stood still. He seemed shy, and he blushed all the time when my mom talked to him, but to me, he was the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen in my life. The week they were at our house was the best and worst week of my life.

The best because I could sit across the dinner table from Edward and stare at him, and the worst because he'd brought Emmett home with him, and my brother, the Prince of Pranks as he referred to himself, was in fine form. The three months between the hell of Christmas break and his return in the middle of March had only given him time to refresh his arsenal of ways to completely humiliate and infuriate me.

One of his best pranks, in his opinion, was putting up flyers around our small town that I had started my own business…"_The Poop Patrol_", as he aptly named it…and I was seeking customers who needed someone to clean up dog poop in their yards.

Before I knew he'd even done it, he'd committed me to fifteen of our neighbors to do a weekly walk around and clean up dog shit. What the ass didn't count on was that I'd be able to find one of those pooper scoopers on a handle and actually make a pretty decent amount of money at it.

Jobs were limited in our little town of Bluefield, Indiana, and you'd be surprised how much money people will pay to keep from having to clean up after their dogs. Fifteen people at ten dollars a week for fifty-two weeks a year added up to a lot of money for me. That shit definitely paid off…_pun intended_.

But, I digress. Edward was standing in my tiny dorm room holding a rubber tub of my clothes, and I was unabashedly ogling him. I snapped out of it and replied, "Just put it on that bed." I pointed to the bed closest to the window that appeared to be mine because the other bed was made up and half of the room was decorated with multi-colored fabric wall hangings. I was really worried about my roommate.

I was a mid-year transfer student. My parents made me take a semester at the community college before they'd agree that I could go away to school. After Emmett screwed off so much his first year that he came dangerously close to losing his scholarship, they decided that they wanted to see how seriously I was going to take my college career before they signed on the bottom line for my financial aid. Apparently, my straight A's in high school didn't convince them that my brother and I were nothing alike.

So, there I was settling into a dorm room the size of a porta-potty in the middle of January at Stovers College, a liberal arts school in Mishawaka which was on the outskirts of South Bend. My brother had been forced to bring me with him after Christmas break was over and help me move in, and he wasn't happy about it at all.

He'd planned to leave a week earlier and go to Chicago, unbeknownst to Mom and Dad, so he could party with Edward and his friends. I threw the proverbial monkey wrench into that plan, and he'd bitched at me the entire trip from our house to campus.

One of the conditions for Emmett to get to bring his Jeep back to school with him was that he'd drive me around for shopping and stuff since his campus was only a few miles from mine. He wasn't happy about that rule either, and even after Mom had ordered that he take me to dinner a few times a week so that I didn't get homesick, he'd laid down the law on the drive to campus.

Shopping day was Sunday afternoon, and he'd drive by a McDonald's on the way. I was to report to our parents that he was being the kind, considerate brother he'd never been before, and he wouldn't hang out at my school and humiliate me.

As I was wedging my hanging clothes into the crack that was supposed to be a closet, I heard, "Bella Swan?" called behind me. I turned around and saw a tall, beautiful blonde with a clipboard looking Edward and Emmett up and down. I could tell that she was around their age…twenty-one…and I could see that she was right up my brother's alley. By the look on his face, she appeared to want to be up Edward's alley as well.

"Yeah," I called as I tossed the rest of my bulky winter clothes onto the unmade bed and stepped in front of Edward to protect him from the blonde Amazon that was brazenly batting her eyelashes at the two of them and not looking at me at all.

Finally, she looked in my direction and smiled…sort of. "Hi. I'm Rosalie Hale. I'm the RA for this floor. Welcome. You're roommate, Alice won't be back until tomorrow, but she called to ask me to check and see that you have everything you need. Here's a list of rules and my phone number if you need anything. I'm in room 234 at the end of the hall. Welcome to Blaire House," she announced as she handed me a sheet of paper aptly entitled "List of Rules."

I'd talked to my roommate over the break, and she seemed like a sweet girl…albeit, a little weird based on the way her side of the room was decorated…so I wasn't surprised that she'd have someone check on me. "Thanks, um, Rosalie," I answered. I felt a nudge behind me and turned to see Emmett was standing right behind me.

"Oh, uh, this is my brother, Emmett, and his friend, Edward. They go to Notre Dame," I introduced, seeing the two mute idiots both stick their hands out at the same time. Somehow, I got shoved back against the bed, and the two of them were standing in front of the woman looking like cartoon characters with their tongues hanging out, eyes spinning, and steam coming out of their ears.

"Nice to meet you," Rosalie replied, shaking first Emmett's hand and then when she stuck hers in Edward's, he pulled it to his lips and kissed it. _Smooth fucker_. Where had the shy, geeky freshman gone that I'd met two years earlier, and why couldn't I be a foot taller and two cup sizes bigger?

"So, Rosalie, what's your major?" my blood-related moron asked. It sounded just as cheesy as 'what's your sign'.

"Mechanical Engineering. Yours?" she asked as Edward stood there still holding her hand. I wanted to slap him in the back of the head to wake him up, but I thought that would be a bit obvious that I was in love with him, so I simply turned back to my task and began loading my clothes into the shitty dresser that was to be mine.

"I'm pre-law," Emmett announced. I was pretty sure _that_ was going to be news to Charlie and Renee Swan. As far as we all knew, Emmett's official major was "undeclared." I chuckled and shook my head.

"And you, handsome, what's your major?" Rosalie purred.

I knew the answer to that, much like many other answers with regard to the personal dossier of one Edward Anthony Cullen. He was pre-med, having chosen to follow in his father's footsteps. He drove a silver Volvo that his parents had bought him as a graduation present when he graduated from St. Patrick's Prep in Chicago. He was six-foot, two-inches, and it appeared he'd put on a little bit of weight over the Christmas break, so I was going to judge him at about one hundred and ninety pounds. He was all muscle, but he looked like he'd bulked up since I'd seen him at Thanksgiving when he came home with Emmett. It was a blissful…_Edward_…tortured…_.Emmett_…holiday.

"I was pre-med, but I changed my major over the break. I'm going into finance," he announced, catching me off guard. I didn't know if he was telling her the truth or not, but if he was, I was curious as to what had taken place over Christmas in Chicago that had caused him to change his mind.

"Ah. Well, you two sound like you've got your shit together. So many people our age just amble through and then have to cram a lot of shit in during the summer between junior and senior year, and then all of senior year. I took heavy course loads my first two years so that this semester and next year I won't have to bust my ass so much," she answered as she gently pulled her hand from Edward's…finally.

I looked in my brother's direction and saw that he was a sputtering mess because it was exactly what he'd done…screwing around his first two years of college…and apparently, it was dawning on him that the young lady was a hell of a lot more together than him. I was pretty sure he could see his shot at a love connection drifting off into the atmosphere like so much smoke, just as I could.

"I did a summer abroad which caused me to rethink medicine, and after a strained discussion with my parents at Christmas, I decided to change my career path. I'm much more interested in international emerging markets and plan to make that my niche. I'll be getting my MBA after I finish undergrad, and then I'm supposed to move to London and work there," Edward volunteered. That was news to me as well.

I could see that Rosalie was quite impressed, which caused my brother to start fake coughing "dick" behind his hand, looking in Edward's direction. That brought an embarrassing snort from me, which in turned caused the other three people in my room to turn and look in my direction. I simply blushed and looked down at my tub of clothes again, continuing to unpack.

"Yeah, well, I guess with Bella living right down the hall from me, we'll run into each other from time to time. I need to go because I've got two other freshmen to check in. Bella, if you need anything, call me. Nice to meet you two," she called before she sashayed away causing both of the dicktards to step out into the hallway to watch her walk away.

As I'd turned to say good-bye, I noticed a silver chain with what appeared to be a diamond engagement ring around her neck. I doubted that Dumb and Dumber, who were eye fucking her the whole time she stood there, had picked up on the fact that Rosalie Hale was taken.

I just sighed and dumped my bras and underwear into a drawer. No boy had ever looked at me like that because, unfortunately, I was _built_ like a boy. Flat ass, no boobs…well, not much…and no hour-glass figure for Bella Swan.

The only boy who'd ever shown an interest in me was Tyler Crowley, a boy from high school who moved to Bluefield during my junior year. We went out on two dates the summer between junior and senior year. When he didn't get very far with me, he dumped me.

It was only mildly comforting when I saw him at his job at the McDonald's drive-thru a week later and noticed he had the remnants of a black eye. Someone had decked the prick, and I wished it could have been me.

I guessed Rosalie was out of eyeshot because they closed the door and began yelling at each other, effectively stepping on each other's rants.

"She was into me and you…" Emmett began, arms gesticulating wildly.

"Pre-law my ass…" Edward's witty retort.

"…future Heisman trophy winner…" Emmett predicted.

"…successful career instead of praying that I get picked up in the fifteenth round of the Draft…" Edward responded.

I couldn't take any more of it. I put my pinky and my index fingers in my mouth and whistled to shut them both up. When they looked at me, I planted my hands on my hips and happily reported, "I don't know if either of you howler monkeys noticed, but she had an engagement ring around her neck. I'd say this whole argument is probably a waste of time…at least of mine…so get out and take this shit with you."

They both looked at me with big eyes and then looked at each other. "Did you notice it?" Edward asked, like he thought I was making it up.

"I did, but on a chain around her neck ain't on her finger. Silver Bells, you hook that up for me, and I'll take you out for a nice dinner once a month," Emmett proposed. _Ass and hole._

"Hey, all you've ever done is torment Bella, why would she want to help you? I've always been nice to you, Bella. Please put in a word for me. I'll let you use my car when you need to for the whole semester," Edward challenged.

I wasn't planning to help either of them, but I damn well wasn't going to help Edward. I almost considered helping Emmett just to keep her away from Edward, but then I decided that I was going to have enough on my plate what with my heavy course load, and their love lives were the last thing on my mind.

"I'm not helping either of you. Now, get out. I've got a lot of shit to do before my roommate gets here tomorrow, and you two are taking up a lot of floor space that I need. Good-bye," I ordered as I walked over to my door and opened it, grabbing Emmett by the ear and dragging him out of my room first. Edward followed reluctantly, and once they were both out of my room, I slammed the door and locked it so that I could have my mini-breakdown to myself. Edward Cullen would only ever see me as Emmett's geeky little sister, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.

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_**Now, a few things…Stovers College is fictional. Bluefield, Indiana, is fictional, but hell, I had to take a bit creative license on it because I don't live in Indiana. **_

_**I hope you'll give it a shot. It's a lot of fun.**_

_**I await your judgment.**_

_**Thanks for reading…xoxo**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hello! So very happy to have you on board with me on this story. JSYK…it's finished. It doesn't mean I won't tweak it along the way, but it's a completed story, so it won't disappear…well, unless FF takes it down. Anyway, thanks for reading and supporting it.**_

_**Scorpio11 is my beta for this one, and I'm thrilled to have her. She brings insights, and I appreciate them. Hey, look at that…I'm growing as a person. I've never had an actual beta before, but I have one now. Well, chalk one up for me!**_

_**Ready to meet Jasper and Alice?**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. I just pull them into my sandbox and play for a while with no malice intended at all!**_

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2. Go Ask Alice

Alice Brandon was an adorable, bubbly young woman who brought a steamer trunk full of designer clothes and a handsome boyfriend …who hung on her every word…with her when she returned to campus.

Jasper Whitlock, a true southern gentleman, believed that the sun revolved around her, and he followed her everywhere she went. That was how the three of us got to be so close.

For the first week of classes, he didn't stay in our room because Alice informed him that we needed "bonding" time. Unfortunately, I had to sleep for those six hours that he left her alone, so we didn't really get to bond much.

He showed up every morning before our first class with breakfast…hers was Greek yogurt with a different type of fruit every day and a double espresso (which I thought he could have skipped because she definitely didn't need the caffeine), and mine was a small carton of milk and a box of "Frosted Flakes." I had yet to develop the caffeine addiction that many of my peers suffered, but I could definitely see it in my future.

The second week, having determined that we'd sufficiently bonded enough to be declared "besties," Jasper became our third wheel, so to speak, the need to sleep in his own dorm room long abandoned, and I was once again living with a boy.

I didn't mind it so much because he was truly a great guy, always considerate to hang a sock on the door of our room when the two of them were going at it after I'd walked in on some sort of Kama Sutra pose the two of them were doing one afternoon when I had a break between classes.

I supposed I should have been grateful to the two of them because all of the extra time I spent in the library and photography lab had helped my GPA significantly. I even started working out for once in my life, and by mid-terms, I was rockin' a solid 4.0 and could run three miles on the treadmill without puking. I was also taking a yoga class which helped with tightening and toning, and I looked pretty damn good, if I did say so myself.

One Wednesday as I was making my way across campus, having been given the all-clear by Alice that it was okay to return to our room, I happened to see Edward Cullen walking toward my dorm. I had the sneaking suspicion that he was on his way to see Rosalie Hale, and I didn't like it.

I hadn't really talked to my brother since classes started. Jasper had a car on-campus, so the three of us did our shopping together on Saturdays, thus nullifying my need to subject myself to my brother in order to buy tampons and toothpaste. I was quite grateful to Alice and Jasper for removing that obstacle from my life.

Just as I got to the door of Blaire House, I saw Edward at the desk talking to the Natalie, one of the students who worked in our dorm as an attendant. She was on the phone, I assumed calling Rosalie, and he looked nervous. I decided that I'd go in the back door to avoid him and take the stairs up to my room. As I was reaching for the handle, Alice and Jasper came out, laughing hysterically about something.

"Hey, Bella. We're just going to dinner. You're welcome to join us," Alice offered. I didn't go out with them all the time, and if I was going to be able to have some time alone in our room, I was going to take advantage of it.

"Thanks, but I'm going to start packing to go home for spring break. My brother's last class is at noon on Friday, and he wants to be on the road shortly thereafter. He'll bitch if I'm not ready," I answered semi-honestly.

"Okay. I'll bring you some pie back. See ya later," Alice called. Jasper waved, and the two of them stepped aside so that I could go inside. I was on the fourth step when the door opened again, and I turned to see Jasper standing there.

"Bella, darlin', I forgot to tell ya that you had a visitor earlier. Ali was in the bathroom finishin' up, and I answered the phone. I told that idiot at the desk that you weren't in. She didn't say who it was, though. See ya later," he called as he stepped back outside and closed the door.

I wasn't expecting anyone, and I was damn sure it wasn't Edward Cullen, so I jogged up the stairs and opened the door to the second floor. I walked down one hallway, and when I turned the corner to our hallway, I saw him leaning against the door to my room, much to my surprise.

"Edward?" I called. He was messing with his phone, and when he heard his name, he looked up and smiled at me with a strange look on his face. Not being an expert in body language, I had no idea what it meant.

"Oh, Bella…you're back. Thankfully, Rosalie let me in because the girl downstairs probably called the wrong room. She said a guy answered, and I was pretty sure that wasn't right because Emmett never mentioned that you were dating anyone. While I know this school is pretty liberal, I didn't think they'd started putting girls and boys in the same room. How've you been?" he asked.

I was a little pissed that he assumed I wouldn't have a guy in my room, and I decided just to fuck with the arrogant bastard. "That was Jasper. I just walked him out. What can I do for you? I'm not getting involved in the pissing match between you and Emmett regarding Rosalie Hale," I barked as I opened my door and tossed my book bag on my bed, neither inviting him in nor slamming the door in his face which was my first inclination.

I took off my coat and scarf and tossed them on the bed. Without invitation, he came in and closed the door. "Who's Jasper?" he asked, ignoring everything else I'd said.

"A very good friend. Now, what do you want?" I asked again forcefully. I wasn't lying because Jasper was actually a good friend, but I might have made it sound like there was more than friendship.

"How good a friend?" he asked nosily. He took his jacket off and tossed it on my bed, taking a seat in my desk chair, uninvited, and looking at the pictures on my cork board next to my desk. There were a lot of pictures that I'd taken around campus and around South Bend, and since Alice had decorated her side of the room with fabrics, signifying her love of her major, fashion design, I decorated my side with black and white photos, signifying my photography major.

"That's actually none of your business, _Emmett_. Look, I need to put the finishing touches on a paper to turn in tomorrow, so could you just tell me why you drove across town and showed up here unannounced?" I asked feeling quite flustered.

"Oh, um, Emmett was going to ask you, but he decided that I'd have better luck with you so instead of calling you, I decided to come by. My parents have invited Emmett up to Chicago for a few days, and since he's your ride home, I wanted to invite you to come along.

"My sister goes to Columbia College and lives at home, and I think that you two would get along well. She's your age, and she's got a lot of friends with whom you'd probably have fun hanging out. He thought you could tell your parents that you have a special project that will keep you here until Monday because he's sure that if he just told your mom and dad the truth, they'd say no. What do you think? I think you'll have a good time," Edward suggested.

_Jeez_. My brother was a fucking idiot. There was no way I was going to go to Edward's parents' house in Chicago and force his sister to keep me entertained so that he and my brother could go out and hit the bars. "Thanks, but no thanks. Emmett just needs to tell Mom and Dad that he wants to go, and I'll hit the transportation board here and at Notre Dame and see if I can find a ride. I know I'm not the only student from southwestern Indiana. You guys go and have fun. Thanks for coming by," I answered, trying to hide how pissed off I really felt.

"Oh, come on. You'll have a good time. Katie's a lot of fun. She's nothing like my boring ass, trust me. Will you think about it?" he asked. I picked up his coat and handed it to him.

"No need. I'll be fine. You guys have fun, and don't let my brother get arrested. Mom and Dad would kick his ass," I responded, opening the door for him to leave. He slowly rose from the chair and pulled on his coat, looking at the pictures once again.

"These are great. Did you take these?" he quizzed.

I let out a deep sigh. "I did. That's what I've been doing since last time I saw you guys. Jasper has a car here on campus, and he takes me around so I can get shots. I'm actually going to have two photos in the end of the year exhibit. Have a great week off," I replied trying to hide the sarcasm. I didn't think I did it very well.

There was a noise behind me, causing me to look down the hallway to see two guys playing with a stupid fucking hacky sack, and when I turned back to look at Edward, he was standing next to me, suddenly ready to go. "Yeah, um, you too. Bye," he called quickly and then took off toward the elevators.

I closed the door, mulling over the unusual encounter, and decided to dismiss it as just his peculiar behavior. I was actually relieved not to have to ride home with Emmett, and if I couldn't find a ride, I would just take a bus. My parents would just have to get over it.

Thirty minutes later, just as I expected, my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw it was the ass, my brother. I had cleverly taken a picture of a donkey's ass for his caller ID, and I debated whether to answer. Finally, I did. "Hey ass," I answered, cracking myself up. I'd have to show him his ID on my phone when we were both back home.

"Now, I haven't seen you since January. That's not a nice thing to say to your big brother. Why aren't you goin' with us to Chicago? Edward's sister is cool. You'll have a great time, and she can hook you up with someone to get a fake ID. She goes out to bars all the time, and I thought maybe it would loosen you up a little bit. I'll be nice," he promised. I knew that was a steaming pile of horseshit. He didn't have it in him to be nice…to _me_ anyway.

"Thanks, but no thanks. You hated it when you got pushed into taking me along when I was in high school, so I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it anymore now. I'd hate to ruin your macking of the ladies in the Windy City. I'll get a ride or I'll take the bus. Don't you worry your empty little head about me," I teased.

He laughed. "Bella, I'm always going to worry about you. You're my little sister. I don't like the idea of you riding home with some stranger, and who the fuck is Jasper, anyway? Edward said you've got a boyfriend? Why do I know nothing about this?" he asked.

That was absolutely the point where I was going to have to come clean because I knew that eventually, Emmett was going to meet Alice and her lap dog, Jasper Whitlock, and I didn't want to be caught in a lie. "I never _said_ he was my boyfriend. I said he was a _good_ friend. You and Edward need to worry about your own shit and leave me alone. How are your grades?" I asked.

I knew he hated talking about school, so I was pretty sure that would get him off the phone. He was already set to be tag-team grilled by our parents when he got home. I hoped I was around when he spouted that shit about pre-law.

"I'm passing, surprisingly. Edward said you've got two photos in the end-of-year exhibit? Why didn't you tell me? You don't keep me in the loop, Silver Bells," he quipped, pissing me off.

"And…that right there is why. The more you know about my life, the more miserable you'll make me. Quit sending your butt boy over here to try to talk me into shit, will you? He has absolutely no powers of persuasion over me," I instructed…well, actually, lied, but whatever.

Emmett cracked up at my reference to Edward as his paramour. "Hey, she called you my butt boy. At least she knows that I'd be the man in any type of homosexual relationship we'd have. Okay, do me a favor, for my own peace of mind. Let me know who's giving you a ride. I'll call the 'rents and tell them the deal. You need cash for gas money? People usually like to split the gas," Emmett offered, surprising the shit out of me. He'd never freely offered me anything in my life.

That time I laughed. I knew I had more money in my savings than him. "I've got money from my little business, remember, dickhead? Now, leave me alone. I've got to finish my paper and get dinner. Bye."

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_**E/N: So, why do we think Edward stopped by? Can't wait to hear from you. **_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hello, lovelies. You're wonderful, and I truly appreciate your reviews. They truly warm my heart.**_

_**Scorpio11…Thank you so very much (you'd probably take out the very !) for your insight into this chapter. You truly made it better…trust me, she made it better.**_

_**Shall we? Oh, SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended from me. Question…do you think that "Hunger Games" has the fan base that "Twilight" does? Just curious…the DVD is coming out and all.**_

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3. A Cut Above

##

I was standing outside the cafeteria looking at the bulletin board when Rosalie Hale walked up to me. We hadn't really had the cause to get to know each other, but I believed it was more the fact that I avoided her so that she couldn't ask me about Emmett, or more importantly, Edward.

"Hey, Swan. I haven't had the chance to talk to you. How are you adjusting?" she asked as I perused the board.

"I'm doing great. Alice is just like you said…great. She's helped me get acclimated, and I'm having a great year," I responded as I pulled down a tab for a ride to Elletsville which wasn't very far from Bluefield. I guessed that my parents could pick me up from there or I could offer the driver, Mike Newton, extra money to take me home. College kids rarely turned down money.

"Yeah, she's great. So, about your brother…is he seeing anyone?" she asked. I turned to look at her and noticed that she didn't have on the engagement ring necklace, and I wondered about it.

"No one serious, but I thought you were engaged," I asked as I stared at her. As much as Emmett drove me up the wall, I didn't want to see him get led around by the dick by a woman who was cheating on her fiancé. Even Emmett didn't deserve that.

"Oh, the ring. No, I'm not engaged. I'm giving it back when I get home. It was given to me at Christmas to 'think' about getting engaged, but I found out the fucker was cheating on me with some whore in New York where he's in grad school. We're broken up, but I haven't had the chance to give him back the ring. I plan to do it when I get home," she explained. That was very interesting, but I didn't think Emmett needed to be a rebound or a retaliation fuck, either, so I decided that I wasn't going to give her any information.

"Oh, well I'm sorry for you. Anyway, I don't think that Emmett's looking to have a real relationship or anything. He dates a lot of girls, so…" I trailed off.

The smile on her face wasn't exactly what I expected. "That's perfect. I'm getting out of a six-year relationship, and I'm certainly not ready to settle down again. Can I have his number? Maybe he and I could get a drink or something," she asked. I wanted to say I didn't know it, but that would just be ridiculous, so I took her phone and punched it in.

Before I handed it to her, I looked up and decided to take the plunge. "Do you want Edward's too?" I asked nervously.

She looked at me strangely, and then chuckled. "No way. I saw the look on your face the day you moved in, and I know for a fact that you're into him. I'd never do that to another girl. We'll take this up when we get back from spring break, but your brother's number is all I want. Take care over the break, and when we get back, let's get Alice away from Jasper for a night and get dinner, okay?" she asked. I was surprised because she was nothing like I thought, so I agreed, and she left.

Behind me, I heard Rosalie say, "Hey, guys. When we all get back, we're going to have a girls' night, Brandon. Whit, you'll just have to sit and play with yourself for a few hours. We need to have a little heart-to-heart with Swan."

I turned to see the three of them looking at me. "What?" I asked.

"I've hesitated to say anything, but if we both gang up on her, maybe we can get somewhere. Call us when you get back from New York. Have a great time," Alice called as she and Jasper made their way over to where I stood.

"To say anything about what?" I asked as they both stopped in front of me. Alice engulfed me in a very Alice-like hug, and then pulled back with a worried expression on her face.

"Why are you looking at the board? I thought that your brother was taking you home?" she asked.

"He's going to Chicago with his friend, Edward, for a few days, and I don't want to go. I'm looking for a ride home," I answered.

I saw her look at Jasper and smile coyly. "That's who Edward is. Well, it all makes a lot more sense now," she responded. I saw him nod and smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It was quite comical to see the two of them together. She didn't come up much higher than his big belt buckle.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Edward. You say his name in your sleep. We've hesitated asking you who it is, but now it makes perfect sense. You're in love with your brother's best friend, aren't you?" she asked.

I quickly defended, "No way. He's an arrogant dick, and if he's friends with my brother, then he's obviously a poor judge of character. I don't know what you're talking about." Maybe I was a little too defensive because they both smiled and looked at each other, nodding. I hated that shit where they had these conversations with their eyes. It was freaky.

"Bella, I can tell when surly people lie. You're the furthest thing from surly, and you can't lie worth a shit, darlin'. Sorry, but the horse is out of the barn. Now, if you're lookin' for a ride back home, a buddy of mine lives down that way, and I happen to know that he's a trustworthy guy. He's got room in his car for one more, and I can call him, if you'd like," Jasper volunteered. If Jasper thought he was trustworthy, it was a lot better than picking some asshole off the commuter board.

"What's his name?" I asked, not that it mattered because I didn't know too many people at school outside of my program.

"Peter Gunn. He's in one of my study groups. His girlfriend is goin' down to meet his folks, so she'll be there, and I don't know who the other person is. So?" he asked. If the guy's girlfriend was along for the ride, I thought it would be a lot easier than if it was just me and him.

"Please call him. I'll share gas," I replied. He smiled and walked away, leaving Alice and I alone while he went to call his friend.

"Peter's a great guy. He and Jasper are both Art History majors. You'll like him. So, tell me about Edward," Alice urged. I sighed again. I needed to talk to someone about him, and Alice was my friend so I unloaded on her.

I explained to her about meeting him during his freshman year of college and about how beautiful I thought he was. I also explained how he never gave me the time of day and how he'd acted when he met Rosalie. I explained the bizarre visit he'd paid me earlier, and finally, "…and I fear you might be right that I'm in love with him, but it doesn't matter because he doesn't give me a second glance."

By then, we were back at the dorm. Surprisingly, Jasper begged off on staying the night, saying he needed to get back to his room to pack because the two of them were going down to Austin to visit his parents for break. Alice was an Army brat and her family had lived in Austin while she was in high school which was where she met Jasper. He was two years older than her, but she said it was love at first sight.

Her father had retired from the military, and he and her mother moved back to Mississippi, but apparently, the couple had spent the Christmas holidays there, so they were going to visit the Whitlocks for spring break. I envied how settled their future seemed. They just knew that they'd be together regardless of where they ended up, and that was why they seemed to be so in-sync.

"Are you sure about that, or do you just not see it because you don't think it's possible. You're a beautiful girl, Bella. I happen to know that Jasper's roommate, Ben, thinks you're adorable, and if he wasn't so damn shy, he'd ask you out," she confessed. It was all news to me…that was for certain.

"I've only had two dates in my entire life, and the guy dumped me because I wouldn't sleep with him. I'm not a vixen, Alice," I admitted, feeling my face blush.

"Oh, you've got that virgin vixen thing going for you, trust me. If this Edward has half a brain, he's attracted to you. If there's any hesitation from him, maybe it's because you're his best friend's sister. Maybe you need to talk to Emmett about what's been said between the two of them. Having never met your brother, I'm not sure how you broach the subject without tipping your hand, but if I come up with an idea, I'll text you. Now, before you go home, I've got a suggestion…let's cut your hair," she suggested.

"WHAT! I like your hair on you, but I don't think I'm cut out for a trendy style," I responded in fear. My hair was my security blanket. It was long and mostly straight, and I could hide behind it when I needed to be invisible. Going without it was absolutely unacceptable.

She grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom that we shared with the two girls in the next room who never spoke to us. I wasn't even sure of their names.

Alice pulled my signature scrunchee out of my hair and tossed it in the trash. "Hey…" I protested.

"First, this isn't 1985 and second, don't start. Now, your hair is beautiful, but with this style…all one length with a center part…you look fourteen. Plus, your ends are dead. I can take a couple of inches off the bottom, cut in some layers, add a bang and a side part, and you're a totally different girl. Bangs will draw attention to your gorgeous brown eyes, and the layers will draw attention to the fact that you've got a heart-shaped face. A few strategically plucked stray eyebrows and you, my dear friend, are a new woman," she described as she contorted my hair around on my head and then looped the front so that it looked like I had bangs.

If she could make me look like a woman, I was going to bite the bullet and put my trust and my hair in her hands. I really had no idea if she could cut hair or not, but I was at the point where I was willing to take the chance.

##

"Gee golly damn. You look incredible," Jasper complimented as he stood at our door with breakfast. Alice was in the shower, and I'd answered when he'd knocked. After Alice had cut my hair, she'd gifted me with a round styling brush and taught me how to blow it dry. We'd been up until 2:00 AM playing with my hair, and I had a lot of ideas of ways to change it up. It wasn't as limiting as I assumed it was going to be, and even though the tweezing had been quite painful, at the end of the makeover, I had to admit that I did look more mature.

"Thank you," I answered as I felt the flush of my cheeks.

"Aw, now you look even better. The way your face pinks up is awful cute. If I wasn't already head-over-heels in love with Alice, I'd be followin' you around like I follow her. Head's up, the fourth person in Pete's car is a guy that Charlotte knows. His name is Jacob Black, and he's at the teacher's college. She says he's a nice guy, but she did mention that he's a big flirt. I don't know if that's somethin' you'd want to know, but I felt like I should warn ya," Jasper offered.

I thanked him for the head's up and left for class, dry cereal in hand. I had a project to turn in, and I wasn't looking forward to the oral presentation, but I found that sometime overnight my new hairstyle had given me a new confidence so I wasn't dreading it as much as I had been.

An hour later, I was finishing my presentation, still marveling at the stares I was getting from formerly oblivious classmates and a teacher's assistant. I guessed the hair-style change had made a lot more difference than I imagined.

"The shadows make the subject appear to pop out of the photo much more than if the angle had been from the other direction. Thank you," I finished. I knew my explanation was pretty lame, but I hoped the pictures spoke for themselves. I guessed my grade would tell the tale.

After class, a very tall, very large guy approached me outside the building. "Are you Bella Swan?" he asked. He was Native American, that was easy to discern, and his long straight hair was pulled back in a leather tie.

"I am. You are?" I asked as I shuffled my back pack onto my shoulder so I could zip my coat. It was really fucking cold outside, and there was a chance of snow. I hoped that we'd get home before it began. It was only early March, and while it sort of felt like spring was coming, the truth was, it wasn't here yet.

"Jake Black. I understand you'll be riding with Pete and Char tomorrow. I just wanted to meet you so it wouldn't be completely awkward on the drive. It's about three hours, and that's a hell of a long time to have to ride with a stranger. I thought we could maybe get a coffee and get to know each other a little," he offered.

I looked at my phone and saw that I'd missed a text during class, but I didn't want to be rude and check it with him right there. "Um, yeah, that's fine. I just need to take care of something. I'll meet you at '_Freebie and the Bean_'?" I suggested. He nodded and took off in a jog toward the food court in the Harris Building.

I went to the restroom and checked my phone, seeing I'd missed a text from Edward which surprised me very much. I knew he had my number, but I was surprised that he'd actually sent a text. I decided that it was probably meant for someone else, so I opened it with no enthusiasm at all.

_Hey…I'm still disappointed you're not coming with us to Chi. Who'd you get a ride with? E_

I contemplated my answer, and decided to send a reply to him and Emmett to kill two nosey birds with one sharp, jagged rock.

_**Peter, Charlotte and Jake all live around Springville, so I'm getting a ride with them. We're leaving in the morning after my last class. Stay out of trouble, you two. B**_

I tossed my phone in my bag and washed my hands, making my way over to the '_Bean_' as we called it. Jake was sitting at a table in the corner with a cup of coffee, so I hurried over to the counter and ordered a cup of tea. I had developed a full-blown caffeine addiction, but I didn't like the bitter taste of coffee. I was a hot-tea-with-a-squirt-of-honey kind of girl. After I had my drink in hand, I walked over to his table and sat down, hearing my phone pinging a few times in my purse. I ignored it.

"I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink. I'm sorry about that. I'll owe you one," Jake offered as he stood up when I moved to sit down. It was very sweet that he was such a gentleman.

"No probs. So, you're studying to be a teacher? What subject?" I asked.

He leaned back against the chair and stretched out his mile-long legs, donning an easy smile. "Middle school…social studies, geography, stuff like that. I grew up on a reservation and had a very good teacher who inspired me at a time when I really needed it. I hope to be able to do the same thing. You're studying photography?" he asked.

I nodded as I sipped my tea. "Yes. I've always loved taking pictures. I was on the yearbook staff at my high school and fell in love with it. I have no idea what kind of a job I'll get with it. I'll probably end up working for Sears," I joked.

I hoped that wasn't the case, but if it was then I'd embrace it and get a second job of some kind so that I could actually afford to eat. I didn't plan to be a pooper scooper for the rest of my life.

"Hey, some of the best pictures my parents have of me were taken at Sears. I'm just kidding. How come I haven't met you before?" he asked as if it was just a given that we'd cross paths.

I shrugged. "I transferred in at the beginning of the semester because I went to community college last semester. My big brother plays football for Notre Dame, and his first year he nearly flunked out, so my parents wanted to make sure I was serious. As far as why we didn't meet sooner, I'd say it's because we don't really know common people, and we're in two different areas of study. I don't see a lot of overlap wherein we'd run into each other," I suggested.

"Yeah, well, now that we've got that out of the way. Would you like to go to dinner tonight?" he asked. Just then, my phone chimed again. It had been going off pretty consistently, so I knew that I needed to check it to make certain that nothing was wrong.

There were six texts…two from Emmett and four from Edward.

_Think about changing your mind. I talked to Katie and she'd really like to meet you – E_

_Oh, and my parents really like Em and would like to meet you too –E_

**Who the fuck is Peter and Jake? Em**

_Who are Peter and Jake? – E_

_**Rosalie called me…thanks, sis. I owe you. Em**_

_I'll meet you at your dorm after your last class. We'll get dinner – E_

I must have laughed because Jacob asked, "Something funny?" I almost forgot he was sitting there. I didn't want to go to dinner with him because I certainly didn't want to make him think I was interested in him romantically. He was a handsome guy and all, but he wasn't my type. He struck me as being more like Emmett, and I didn't think that was the type of guy I wanted to date.

"Just my brother and his roommate. Um, look, let's get this straight upfront. I think you're probably a nice guy, but I'm not really trying to date anyone or have any type of entanglement or anything. If you'd like to be friends and get to know each other, I think that would be nice, but, um, I really can't get involved in anything more. I've got to concentrate on my studies because my parents and I are sharing the cost of my tuition. I've applied for scholarships for next year, but I've definitely got to put my studies before anything else," I explained.

He laughed and slapped his leg, taking me off guard. "Shawty, I oughta tell ya that I've got a girl back home. I'm not looking for anything more than a friend. You just seem like good people. I didn't mean to give you the impression that I'm interested in you romantically. You're a cute kid, but you're definitely not my type. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings," he answered.

Well, talk about being shot down like a Canadian Honker…that was me. I'd obviously let my newfound confidence get the better of me by thinking that the handsome man would be interested in me for more than a friend. I was so fucking embarrassed that I wanted to die.

I felt the tears coming, so I took a huge breath and got up from the table. "Sorry if I misread things. Thanks for the invitation for dinner, but I'm busy. See ya tomorrow," I mumbled as I skulked off to wallow in my humiliation. I got halfway to my dorm before I broke down and cried.

Never before, in all of my nineteen years and endless experiences with Emmett, had I ever been so mortified. Apparently, when Alice plucked my eyebrows, she plucked out some of my brains because I wasn't behaving like myself at all. Men like Jacob Black and Edward Cullen weren't interested in girls like me, and for me to even think it for a minute was absolutely ridiculous.

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Emmett, copying Edward.

_Ride fell through. Turned in project early and taking the bus tonight. See you at home Em. –B_

After that, I turned off my phone, went on the Internet to buy a bus ticket, and walked my paper over to the arts building, putting it into my professor's mailbox. I walked the five blocks to the bus depot and got on without a good-bye to Jasper and Alice, or anyone else. A week of being sequestered in my room at my parents' house sounded like a really good fucking idea.

I sent a quick text to Jasper's friend Peter, thanking him for the offer of a ride, and I settled into a lonely trip home with my deflated ego and the embarrassment of the sit down with Jacob Black. Why the fuck I ever decided that he was interested in me romantically, I didn't know, but I sure as hell didn't like any of it. Insipid teenager...table for one.

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_**E/N: So, what do we think about the text messages? Can't wait to hear from you.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thank you all so very much for your reviews and support of this little tale. I crack up at some of your observations. Some of you are far more creative than me!**_

_**Scorpio11 is on board to beta this one for me, and she helps to clear the confusion that sometimes ends up on the page. You'd have a heck of a lot of more questions if she didn't cull through this first. Thanks, Scorp.**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended.**_

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4. Greyhound Bound

If you've never had the misguided notion to take a _Greyhound_ bus anywhere, count yourself lucky. The sad thing was that the ticket wasn't even cheap, what with the price of diesel fuel being over four dollars a gallon.

If only Bluefield had an airport that wasn't actually a fucking cornfield, I'd have flown in a goddamn crop duster to get home in about thirty minutes instead of the agonizing five-and-a-half hours that it took because I wasn't on an express. We stopped at every cow pie along the way.

Thankfully, when we hit my hometown, the stop was at the small restaurant that was only half-a-mile from home, so I was able to walk there without calling my parents.

I'd made the unfortunate mistake of taking a seat in the back of the bus for privacy. I quickly figured out why no one wanted to sit back there…the toilet. It smelled like piss the whole ride, and by the time I got off the bus, I was ready to puke.

Between the urine smell, the smell of diesel fumes which caused me alarm that maybe there was a fuel leak or something, and the state of my stomach before I ever got on the fucking bus, I was a mess when I got home.

"Mom, Dad? I'm home," I called as I let myself into the house. I saw the kitchen light on, and I left my suitcase by the stairs and went in, finding my parents working on their taxes.

"Baby girl? I thought you were getting a ride tomorrow," Mom remarked as she stood to hug me. My dad, the tough guy with the big heart and the iron fist, looked up with concern on his face.

"What's wrong? You look green. How'd you get home?" he asked. I released Mom and hugged him around the neck.

"I took the bus. I made the mistake of sitting in the back, and between the diesel smell and the urine smell, my stomach is turning. My class tomorrow got cancelled, and since I saw no need to stay the night, I came home," I answered.

I saw them look between each other, but I tried to ignore it. They obviously knew that something was wrong with me so I decided to make a quick exit before the inquest began. "I'm fine. I'm going to go take a shower and see if I can get the smells out of my head before I puke. I'll come down and say good-night," I offered, making a quick getaway.

Once I was safely inside my room, I dropped my shit on the bed and pulled my phone out of my purse, turning it back on. I was pretty sure that there would be something from Emmett, and a part of me hoped that there would be something from Edward. That part was a naïve fool.

Without waiting for the messages to load, I grabbed my things and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower and climbing in to wash away one of the worst days of my life. The feeling of defeat was embedded deeply in my soul, and I didn't know if it would ever go away.

My confidence was completely shot so I just pushed it out of my mind. After good-nights to my parents, I went to my room and pulled out a book.

I looked on the nightstand, seeing my phone flashing, so I begrudgingly picked it up and saw I had a text and a voicemail. I hit the text first.

_**Still think you should have come with us. See you on Monday evening, SB – Em**_

I dialed my voicemail and waited. "_Bella, it's me, Edward. I'm sorry that you left before we could get together. Maybe when we all get back to school we can get dinner without your ass of a brother. I hope you have a good time, though I've been to Bluefield before, sooo… Anyway, take care. Bye."_

I truly had no idea what he was thinking with that stupid invitation but I felt like it had everything to do with Emmett pushing him to ask me for dinner to find out about what was going on in my life. Emmett knew I wouldn't tell _him_ jack shit, and I suspected that he thought…well, based on an earlier discussion…Edward could get information from me that he couldn't. If he knew me at all, he'd know that wasn't the case, especially in light of my latest humiliation.

Friday morning at far-too-early-fucking-o'clock, my mom shook me awake. I'd vaguely remembered hearing a phone ringing in the middle of the night, but I assumed that I was dreaming. I opened my eyes and saw her standing by my bed looking worried.

"What's wrong?" I yawned. It was barely light out.

"Honey, I'm sorry but we've got to go to Muncie because Gran Swan's had a heart attack. Do you want to come with us or do you want to stay here?" she asked. I loved my gran, and if she was in the hospital, I wanted to be there.

"Um, give me ten minutes, and I'll be ready to go," I told her. She kissed my forehead and smiled.

"I love your haircut. It shows off your beautiful eyes," she commented before she left. _Yeah, for all the good the beautiful eyes did me._

I hopped off the self-pity express and changed clothes, made my bed, and packed up my shit. I guessed I'd be taking the fucking _Greyhound_ from Muncie at the end of the week, so I took all of my stuff with me.

Six-thirty in the morning found me in the back seat of my mother's Buick as my father, the chief-of-police of our little town, lead-footed it up State Road 46 to I-65 then to I-69. I dozed and we stopped for breakfast and lunch, arriving at the hospital in the early afternoon. I was antsy to get out of the car because my mother had been chattering away like a chipmunk while my father only grunted or nodded.

My Gran Swan was my hero of sorts. She had been married three times…all of them deceased which caused my brother to nickname her "The Black Widow,"…and as of the last letter she'd written to me, she was seeing another man she'd met at the library where she volunteered three days a week.

She was the only person living who didn't tease me when I got my braces, and she was the only person on the face of the earth who could put the fear of God in the eyes of Charlie Swan.

She and my mom didn't get along very well because Mom always said that Gran didn't think anyone was good enough for her baby boy, but I always thought that Gran loved Mom as much as she loved her own kids. I didn't ever see her treat Mom any differently than she treated my Aunt Marge, her biological daughter. Of course, she didn't really treat any of her kids like they had much sense, so maybe that's where the perception came from that she didn't like my mom. It was all over my head anyway.

We made our way to the cardiac-care unit and found out that she needed to undergo a triple by-pass which didn't sound good to me at all. I sat with my parents as we listened to the cardiac team explain it, but I didn't understand a word of it. Words like "stint" and "calcification" completely escaped my realm of comprehension. My father took it all in and looked at my mom for guidance.

"I don't think we have a choice. What's her prognosis?" Mom asked. Okay, that one, I knew.

"She's only seventy, and she's otherwise in good health. I truly believe after the by-pass she'll get back to better than one-hundred percent. She's had problems with shortness of breath and discomfort, but she's been steadfast in avoiding the surgery because she said she didn't want the down time. We're lucky that there's only minor damage to her heart. There's a little fluid on her lungs, which is understandable, but I believe that her prognosis is very good," Dr. Gerandy, Gran's cardiologist informed. I understood it for the most part, but it wasn't my decision to make.

Dad signed the papers, and they took him to see Gran while Mom went to make phone calls to my dad's sister, Marge, and his brother, Arthur. They both lived out of state and none of the siblings were close, so Dad left the calls to Mom, not to my surprise at all.

I pulled out my phone and walked outside to send Emmett a text. I didn't know if Mom or Dad had bothered, but I felt like he should know. I knew it would be a hell of a trip, and knowing Emmett, he was having too good of a time to be bothered, but he'd never be able to throw it off on me that he didn't know.

_**Em – Gran had a heart attack and they're going to do surgery. Just thought I'd let you know. We're at the hospital in Muncie. Bella**_

What he'd do with the information, I had no idea.

##

"She's out of surgery, and she's very strong," I heard as I felt a hand on my shoulder. My eyes popped open, and I found that I was lying on a mint green vinyl couch with my head on something hard, yet warm. I looked around and saw my dad, my mom, and Emmett talking to Dr. Gerandy. I rolled up from my side to find that my head had been resting on Edward's lap, and he'd been stroking my arm. I was in shock.

"Wh..when did you get here?" I asked quietly as I looked at the black and white clock over the door, seeing it was after 8:00 PM. What Edward Cullen was doing here, I had no idea.

"Just about half-an-hour ago. You looked like your neck was going to be stiff, so I put your head on my leg to align your spinal column. You cut your hair?" he asked. I was certain I was a sight to behold. No doubt I had a crease on my cheek or gook in my eyes.

"Oh, yeah, I did. It was nice of you to come," I offered. He smiled, and I got up from the couch and joined my family, feeling Emmett's beefy arm snake around my shoulder and a kiss to my temple which shocked me. He wasn't the touchy-feely guy at all, and I was certain it had everything to do with the shock of Gran's condition.

"So, we'll keep her in ICU for a few days, and if everything continues down the path I believe we're on, we'll move her to a room in the cardiac wing and begin rehabilitation. She's a strong woman, Mr. Swan. I don't believe we have a lot to worry about. The next twenty-four hours will give us a good indication of how she'll come out of it," the doctor told us. He shook my father's hand and left.

After the doctor left, we all sat down. Emmett held my hand, and in that moment, he'd never looked more like a little boy in his life. I was surprised. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly while Mom and Dad discussed logistics.

"Thanks for sending that text. They didn't even call me," he whispered. I could see that his feelings were hurt, and I felt bad for him, so I squeezed his hand in silent support.

"I don't think they meant anything by it. I'm pretty sure that if I wasn't already there, they'd have forgotten about me too," I offered. He looked at me and smiled, wrapping his arm around me and mumbling, "love you." It was something I'd never heard from my brother before in my life.

"Okay. You kids go back to Grandma's. The key is under the flower pot on the back porch. We'll wait until they get her settled in ICU, and then we'll come there. We won't be able to see her tonight, anyway, so there's no point in all of us sitting here. Edward, thank you for driving Emmett down. Son, I'm sorry that we didn't let you know, but until we had something concrete to tell you, it didn't seem right to worry you," Mom offered.

"I bet," I heard Emmett mumble.

"Mrs. S, no problem. We dropped Em's Jeep off at school, so we can stay as long as you need us. We'll take Bella back with us," Edward replied as he touched my knee and squeezed a bit.

"Thanks. We'll be there in a while," Mom responded. Dad wasn't saying anything, which didn't really surprise me.

We left the hospital and went to my grandmother's house on the west side of Muncie. It was a place I remembered going when Em and I were little and Gramps was still alive, but I really hadn't been there in a while.

Based on the messages on the answering machine, Uncle Arthur and Aunt Marge were waiting to see if there was a reason to come to Muncie. I thought that was pretty shitty. I sent Mom a text relating the same.

After our bags were inside the house, I went to the kitchen to see if Gran had anything in the fridge to cook. I didn't find anything with any promise, and it was too late to defrost anything, so I looked at Emmett and Edward and asked, "So, there's really nothing here that any of us would eat. Should I go to the store and grocery shop, or should we just order a pizza?"

Who was I asking? College students lived on pizza so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to the store that night. "Um, let's order a pizza from Pizza Shack, and Ed and I'll pick it up and get some beer. You got a favorite?" Emmett asked.

I wasn't sure to what he was referring, so I simply answered, "You know what I like. I'll take the couch, and you girls can share the spare bed. Mom and Dad can sleep in Gran's room…unless you like the smell of talcum powder and _Evening in Paris_," I teased. My grandmother had her own unique smell, and Emmett and I always joked about it.

"I'll take the floor and Em can have the couch. You can take the bed," Edward offered.

"_No fucking way_. I don't like the idea of sharing a rack with you, but I ain't sleepin' on that couch with my legs hangin' over the side. Silver Bells is small, and it wouldn't be the first time she's slept there, would it?" Emmett asked as he looked at me. All signs of the sweet brother from the hospital were completely gone.

"Fuck you. That's fine," I replied. I grabbed my bag to shower because hospitals were full of germs, and I didn't want to pick up some rare strain of Ebola that wasn't treatable with antibiotics. When I finished, I went back downstairs, finding the two of them gone. I wasn't exactly sure when or if they'd come back because there was no note, so I went to the cabinet and pulled out a sleeve of saltines and the jar of peanut butter that my grandmother always had on hand.

I went to the living room and turned on the television, knowing that one luxury that my grandmother afforded herself was cable, and I flipped the channels looking for anything that could keep my attention and keep me from worrying about my family. I sincerely doubted that Emmett and Edward would come back with pizza, probably having found a bar to grab beers and chicken wings instead.

When I heard Emmett laughing as the front door opened, I was surprised. "Bells, we're back," he called. I took my plate to the kitchen and found three pizzas and a case of beer.

What I didn't know was that one pizza was for Emmett…no surprise…one pizza was for Edward…a bit of a surprise…and the third was for me, Mom and Dad. The beer was a free for all, and I was shocked when Edward offered me one and Emmett didn't pitch a fit.

"Bella, would you like a beer?" Edward asked as I pulled plates from the cabinet. There were already napkins on the table.

I looked at Emmett and he held up two fingers as he shoved a mouth full of sausage and pepperoni into his pie hole. Edward placed three beers on the table, opening them and handing one to me. "Thanks," I answered as I took a healthy pull. I liked beer, having been a guest at more than one of Alice and Jasper's beer parties in our room. Emmett laughed a little at me, and then took a drink from his own.

"So, Bells, you never got back to me. Who's this Peter guy and Jacob, and who's Jasper? I'm hearing a whole lot of guys' names floating around you, and you're not keeping me in the loop," Emmett bitched. I'd liked to have put the "loop" around his neck and strangled him with it.

I took a bite of the veggie pizza, which was my favorite and thought about how to answer him with Edward sitting there. I didn't want to sound like a slut, and I didn't want to sound like the pathetic idiot that Jacob Black had made me feel, but if my brother and I were ever going to forge a relationship, I was certain that I had to be honest.

I took another drink from my beer and wiped my mouth. "Okay, Peter is a friend of Jasper's. Jasper is a good friend of mine, and he's my roommate's boyfriend who basically lives with us. Jacob is a friend of Peter's, and he's a…um…well, you don't need to worry about him. He made it clear that I'm not his type at all. Peter has a girlfriend, Charlotte, whom I've yet to meet, but there's no one in my life so you don't need to worry. There's no loop to be kept in," I replied honestly.

I didn't look up because I didn't want to see the look on either of their faces. I felt the tears coming as I remembered my embarrassment based on my misguided assumption and stupid ego with regard to Jacob Black, and I quickly excused myself. "I'll be right back," I remarked as I hopped up and raced upstairs to the bathroom. Humiliation…the gift that keeps on giving…just like herpes, which I hoped Jacob Black caught.

After I cried, yet a-fucking-gain, I went back downstairs, having stopped to grab eye drops and a book from my bag and leaving them on the end table in the living room. I went back to the kitchen, downed the rest of my beer, and walked to the fridge to grab another. "Beer?" I asked without looking around.

"Yeah," I heard from the two of them. I pulled three out and set them on the table. Edward grabbed two and opened them, setting one at my place, and Emmett grabbed the other.

It was time for a change of subject, so I looked at my brother and asked, "So, Rosalie?" Seeing the glazed-over look on his face actually made me laugh even though I didn't have anything to laugh about that day. I curled my legs into a pretzel in the chair and pushed my hair behind my shoulders, digging into my pizza again.

"She called and asked me out for when we get back from break. What did you say to her? I was pretty fucking sure you'd never help me out," Em replied. I thought about telling him it was all her idea, but I decided that I'd take advantage of his perception, hoping it would keep him from giving me shit about anything that came up while we were in Muncie.

"Hey, I told her what a great guy you were, and she explained that she'd broken up with her boyfriend, and she'd be interested in going out with you. Apparently, the stupid fuck cheated on her, and she was done. I don't think she's looking for anything serious, though," I advised, just to be safe.

He swallowed his fourth piece of pizza and looked at me. "So _was _she actually engaged?" he asked.

"He gave her the ring to 'think' about it but she hadn't accepted it. She found out he was cheating on her, and she's giving the ring back over the break," I explained with appropriate air quotes.

"What a stupid fucking idiot," Emmett replied.

"Speaking of stupid fucking idiot's, what did this Jacob kid say that caused you to run off in tears?" Edward asked, surprising me.

"It was really a misunderstanding. He invited me for coffee, and I thought he was interested in me like the stupid naïve idiot I am. He's got a girlfriend, and he told me that I was definitely _not_ his type of girl. I pretty much think that's the response that I'll get from every guy I meet. I'm considering the nunnery," I tossed out hoping it sounded like a joke.

"He sounds like a dick. You're better off without a guy like that. You're too young to worry about guys," Emmett responded, much like I expected.

"_Asshole_, when you were my age, you'd already fucked your way through half of our high school and a lot of girls in the next town. It's not your say what happens in my personal life," I snapped.

I finished my slice of pizza and wrapped up the rest for Mom and Dad, feeling exhausted. I finished my beer and announced, "I'm going to sleep. Clean up your mess."

I snuggled up on the couch with my favorite quilt of Gran's and turned off the television. I heard Edward and Emmett whispering in the kitchen, but I didn't care. Let them think what they wanted. I was pretty sure that I'd be fine alone for the rest of my virginal life.

Maybe I could go to Africa with the Peace Corps and photograph the plight of the people there. Maybe I could win a Pulitzer or a Guggenheim Fellowship and become the famous virgin who took fantastic pictures. I'd even dress in white to accept my award because it would be the closest to a wedding I'd ever get, I was sure.

##

The unfortunate thing about sleeping in my grandmother's living room was the fucking grandfather clock. That son-of-a-bitch went off every hour on the hour, reminding me of every hour of sleep that I _wasn't_ getting. When I finally fell asleep just after the 1:00 AM chime, it was peaceful…that was, until the 2:00 AM chime.

"Mother fuck," I sneered as I punched the feather pillow that I'd taken from the spare room, turning over from facing the back of the couch.

I heard a soft laugh and turned my head to see bare feet and sweat pants kicked back in my grandfather's old recliner. I lifted my head to see Edward in the chair in a 'Notre Dame' sweatshirt with his hands behind his head.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you and Em were going to share the spare room," I whispered.

He laughed again, and replied, "I found out something about your brother that disturbed me more than I ever wanted to be disturbed. He takes off his clothes in his sleep, and he likes to cuddle. I don't think you'll want more detail than that."

I buried my face in the old pillow, smelling Gran's familiar smell on it, and I laughed harder than I'd laughed in a long time. The visual of Emmett, in any stage of undress, grabbing Edward to cuddle was more than I could contain, and my whole body was shaking.

I had tears rolling down my cheeks at it, and before I knew it, my laughter changed into sobs at all of the drama that I'd been dealt in the past few days. The humiliation with Jacob…the bus ride to my parents' house…the ordeal with my grandmother…all of it added up to a sobbing, snotty mess. Without my notice, Edward climbed on the couch behind me and pulled me onto his chest.

"Don't cry. I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm here. I'll be happy to let you wipe your nose on my sleeve," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me, causing me to laugh again.

I sniffed and wiped my nose on my own sleeve, raising my head to look in his direction. "Thanks, Cullen," I answered.

"Anytime. What did that boy say to you that made you cry? You're a beautiful girl, Bella. If he hurt your feelings, I'm sure it's just because he realized he had no chance with you. Guys are shitty that way. Don't give it a lot of airplay. You deserve better," he whispered as he kissed the top of my head.

I didn't answer. I sniffed again and wrapped my arm over his chest and fell into a blissful sleep, not hearing the damn clock again all night.

\\\

_**E/N: So, what do we think? Can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: HELLO! I know I didn't post yesterday, but I was whisked away for a romantic evening with the hubs before we're apart for two weeks…competing travel. I'll be gone for about seven days beginning on Wednesday, and I won't have access, so you won't hear from me, but I'm not abandoning you. I'll return to posting when I get home. The story's far from over, trust me!**_

_**One of you lovely reviewers (thanks for those, by the way! Loved them) mentioned that Bella seemed OOC…I hope she is. I wanted her to be a bit clueless in the beginning, but when she figures things out, I want her confidence to shine. I hope that's what you bring away as the story unfolds.**_

_**This chapter will offer a lot of insight into things that have happened up to this point. I hope you like it. A huge thank you to Scorpio11, my beta, for pointing out a botch on my part. She's quite thorough and as interested in giving you a good story as me. Thanks Lady!**_

_**SMeyer owns Twilight. No infringement from me ever.**_

_**\\\ **_

5. Detailed Analysis

##

The week went by faster than I thought it would. Gran was moved to a private room, and she was doing well. The doctors were giving her a positive prognosis, and with some physical therapy, she'd be back to her normal self sooner rather than later.

She'd declined Mom and Dad's urging for her to move to Bluefield with them, and I could see the relief on Mom's face. Aunt Marge and Uncle Art finally came to visit, and the day we left to go back to school, they were set to have a family meeting. I was glad to get the fuck out of there because I was pretty sure it would be quite ugly. Dad was the favorite, as the oldest, and I knew it would be a fight I didn't want to witness.

Every night, Edward slept in the recliner, or so everyone thought. Thankfully, he was an early riser and was back in the chair before the house woke in the mornings so we avoided an uncomfortable confrontation with anyone in my family about what went on when the lights went out. After the house settled for the night, he'd climb onto the couch with me and hold me as I got the best sleep of my life. It didn't go beyond that, but I hated the thought of sleeping alone. I was sure it wouldn't be easy to adjust when I got back to my dorm room.

When we arrived in South Bend, he dropped Emmett off at campus first because he had a date with Rosalie. "You sure you don't mind taking her? Bells, you can take my…wait, you can't. Well, you can come in while I get ready, and I'll drop you off at school when I pick up Rose," Emmett offered.

"Emmett, it's a ten minute drive, and I've got nothing going on. Get the fuck out," Edward ordered. Emmett jumped out of the front seat and went to the trunk, grabbing his bag. With an "I'll call you" in my direction, he was in their apartment building in a flash.

"Are you just going to sit there and treat me like a chauffeur?" Edward asked with a smirk on his face as he looked at me in the rearview mirror.

"It's only a ten minute drive, Jeeves," I joked as I propped my feet up on the console between the seats.

"Get up front, Swan. You don't need a booster seat any longer. You're a full-grown woman," he announced as he opened the passenger door and waited with a cocked eyebrow in the reflection of the rearview mirror. I climbed out of the back and into the front, closing the door.

"Not in favor of the nick of 'Jeeves'?" I teased as I fastened the seatbelt.

"Not in favor of the distance," he answered as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove in the opposite direction of my campus.

"Where are we going?" I asked feeling completely perplexed. He'd been acting so strangely all week, and I had no idea how to act around him, much less understand his behavior. The man was a complete riddle.

He pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant I'd never been to before and hopped out of the car and walked around, opening my door and pulling me out. "Come on, I'm hungry," he announced.

"Wow, it's been four _whole_ hours," I announced as I remembered that we'd had lunch at 1:00 PM in Wabash on the way back to South Bend.

"Yeah, well, I can't talk to you with Emmett around, and we have some shit we need to talk about," he commented as he took my hand and led me into the place.

It was a dive from every indication that I could see, but a burger sounded good. After we'd ordered, I looked at him to find out what the fuck he had on his mind. "Okay, Cullen, you've got the floor," I offered as I took a sip from my water.

"I remember the first time I saw you in your parents' kitchen. You were a fierce little tomboy with a messy ponytail and scraped knees. You looked ready to take on the world, and it actually shocked the hell out of me. I thought I knew what I wanted for my life, but when I met you, you made me rethink a lot of things.

"I've watched you for two years, and Emmett's kept me up to speed on what's going on in your life…I was behind the ass beating that Tyler guy got because I told Em that if it was my sister, I'd beat the fuck out of the guy, and Emmett did it. Based on shit that Emmett heard around town, that kid was only after you for one thing…sex. You deserve a great guy, Bella. You deserve a guy who'll know how to treat you, and you don't seem to understand that you shouldn't settle for anything less. That worries me," he began.

Our waitress delivered my soda and his coffee, and he took a sip of it, cursing and holding his tongue which caused me to laugh. Tongue burns were the worst.

I handed him my soda and he took a spoon, fishing out an ice cube and sucking on it. "Thankths," he lisped.

I nodded and took my drink back, taking a long sip from the straw and playing with the paper napkin on the table while I waited for him to continue. I couldn't say anything because I had no idea what the hell was going on with him, and I needed to know. If this was a "big brother" talk that he felt compelled to have with me because Emmett was too much of a Gomer to do it, I was going to get up from the table and walk back to Stovers. I had a big brother. I didn't need another one.

"I'm twenty-one, and you're nineteen. Not exactly the ideal age to strike up a serious relationship, especially since I'm supposed to go overseas as soon as I graduate. I just don't know what to do about you, Bella. You twist me up in knots," he replied as he sipped his coffee more cautiously.

"_What to do about me? _I don't see that you need to do anything about me because you've never given me a second glance. Look, you're horny and need to get laid. That's likely your problem. You've been in southwestern Indiana away from your usuals, and you've let your imagination run away with you. That's all this is, Edward. I'm the annoying tomboy that you've had to endure when Em brought you home to visit. Don't make it more than it really is. I was a warm body next to you on my grandmother's old couch. I know it and you know it," I surmised as our food was delivered.

I couldn't let it be anything more or my heart would break when he met someone in whom he was truly interested and started dating right in front of my nose, or when he went to London for grad school. Edward had a clear plan in mind for his life, and I was pretty sure I was just some turbulence on his radar. As far as I knew, men liked to sleep next to soft women, and that was all this was…that's what I was telling myself to keep my sanity.

##

"Tell us what he said," Alice and Rosalie urged. The three of us were sitting at a Denny's for breakfast on Sunday morning. Emmett and Rosalie had gone out the night before, and thankfully, she didn't share too many details. I did see his Jeep leaving the parking lot that morning which made me gag.

Jasper was working on a paper so the three of us decided to get breakfast and catch up. I was surprised when Alice had mentioned that Jasper wasn't coming with us due to homework because I rarely saw the guy crack a book, though I knew he was on the Dean's List. I wondered if she told him that it should be just the girls or if he sensed it. The guy seemed to be able to pick up on shit going on with people without them really telling him anything.

"He said this stupid thing about remembering the first time he saw me at my parents' house as 'a fierce little tomboy', and then he said, '_I'm twenty-one, and you're nineteen. Not exactly the ideal age to strike up a serious relationship, especially since I'm supposed to go overseas as soon as I graduate. I just don't know what to do about you, Bella. You twist me up in knots'. _What the fuck does that even mean?" I asked after I mocked the tone in his voice when he'd said the words that were tattooed on my brain.

I looked at the two of them for guidance, but they appeared to be stewing over it. "What'd you say?" Rosalie asked as she cut into her strawberry pancakes.

"I said that he was horny and that it was just because he slept on Gran's couch with me for five days. I told him once he got back to his usual fuck buddies, he'd forget all about me," I related.

They looked at each other and Alice smacked her forehead, slinging a piece of scrambled egg into Rosalie's hair. "Bitch, watch the food throwing. Bella, why the fuck would you say that to him? You know you want in that guy's Calvin's more than you want to breathe. It's all over your damn face. I quizzed your brother, rather covertly I might add, regarding Edward's dating habits at school. Of course, I had to assure the idiot that I wasn't looking for the two of them to have a three-way with me. Anyway, you're making assumptions about Edward's personal life that are completely wrong, according to Emmy Bear," she offered.

The _Emmy Bear_ shit made me want to laugh, but I needed to know what she was talking about even more. "We'll get back to the _Emmy Bear _thing, but what do you mean with regard to Edward's dating habits?" I asked.

"Emmett told me that all the guy does is study and work out. That London bullshit? He doesn't want to go. His parents are pushing it. Em heard him on the phone with his little sister bitching about it. He's trying to figure out how to tell them he doesn't want to go. And Emmett said that he caught Edward sitting on the couch one night watching TV and staring at a picture of you and Alice that he'd folded in half so that it was just you. You've got the guy by the short ones, and he has no idea what to do," Rosalie confessed.

I found that shit very hard to believe. "What did Emmett say about all of this? Wait, when did you guys have all this time to talk?" I asked, not really wanting an answer. I'd seen him leave that morning. Just because I was a virgin, it didn't mean I didn't know what the hell they were doing all night.

"Emmett's clueless about it all, no surprise there. We talked during sex. It's a way to keep him from being so preoccupied with fucking so that he can last longer. We're working on his premature ejaculation issues," Rosalie informed nonchalantly. Alice choked on her berries, and I wanted to take a butter knife and scramble my brains.

"How do you remember so much about what he said if you're getting into it? Or, is he not able to get you off?" Alice asked. I definitely didn't want to hear about my brother's sexual inadequacies.

"Oh, no, the guy can get me off. I've just got to distract him a bit in the beginning. I'm great at multi-tasking. Now, what do you intend to do with this information?" Rosalie asked.

I looked at her like she was crazy. Even _if_ I wanted to embarrass the fuck out of my brother regarding what she'd just said, I'd never be able to get the jabs out without having a stroke. "Nothing. I'm not touching that shit with a ten-foot pole. If I was even to hint that I knew any of that shit, Emmett would make my life a living hell," I confirmed.

"Not _that_ information, you dumbass, the information regarding Edward?" she asked. _That_ information…though I wasn't certain I trusted it completely…was something I needed to think about, long and hard, just like I imagined Edward to be. _Virgin slut!_

"I'm not sure what to do about it. Emmett didn't mention that Edward was actually into me, so I think if I try to do anything, I'll just end up humiliated," I determined.

Rose looked at Alice and asked, "Is she really this naïve? Wait, is she a _virgin_?" Alice, my _former_ "bestie" completely betrayed me by nodding in confirmation of Rosalie's queries. It was quite unfortunate that they were both right.

"Oh, man, this is perfect…forbidden fruit. The unconquered conquest. The draw of the innocent. No wonder he's so fucked up. Does he know?" Rosalie asked.

I didn't think he did, but I had no idea. As far as I really knew, the only people who knew for certain that I was untouched were Rosalie, Alice, and my still-in-the-box…box. It wasn't like I wore a sandwich board around advertising that shit to one and all.

"How the fuck do I know?" I snapped, pushing away the rest of my breakfast. The appetite had completely evaporated.

"We need a plan," Alice suggested. I wasn't so sure that was good news. The two of them conspiring together sounded to me like the makings for World War III. I just hoped I'd survive the nuclear fallout.

##

Sunday afternoon, I'd gone to the library to study…actually, that was a lie. I'd gone to the library to get away from the nonstop brainstorming that Alice and Rosalie were doing in our dorm room regarding how to find out if Edward knew of my "status," and if he was interested in me more than just as a passing fancy or as Emmett's little sister.

The other great thing about the library was that you had to turn off your cellphone. I had my laptop and my digital camera, and I was perusing some pictures I'd taken while we were in Muncie. They weren't great because the subject matter available around Muncie, Indiana, in March wasn't every exciting. There was one shot in particular that I was looking for which was of Emmett and Edward in my Gran's kitchen one night after Mom and Dad had gone to bed.

They were both a bit worse for wear…or shit faced…and Edward had the cutest smile on his face, so I wanted to crop out my brother and keep the picture of Edward for myself.

I'd looked at my cork board when I'd returned to our room after breakfast and saw that a picture Jasper had taken of Alice and I was missing. I had no idea when Edward had taken it from my room, but if he was looking at it, I took that as a little bit of encouragement. _But_, I wasn't allowing my heart to get ahead of my grey-matter.

I was so engrossed in perusing my photos that I failed to notice someone sit down next to me until I felt an arm resting on the back of my chair causing me to jump. I turned to see Edward sitting there with a smirk on his face as he looked over my shoulder, seeing the photo of himself that I'd foolishly made my wallpaper on my laptop. It was too late to do anything about it, so I simply sat back in my chair, crossed my arms over my chest, and turned to him with a cocked eyebrow.

"May I help you? I happen to know that the library at Notre Dame is a hell of a lot bigger and better than this one," I challenged.

"Bigger, yes…better, no. Who's that extremely attractive guy who you've got as your wallpaper? Wait, I know him. I think I see him when I look in the mirror to shave every morning," he teased. The blush was making itself known as I slapped down the lid of my laptop, making a loud echo in the empty library.

"I screwed up when I was loading a picture, and I've got to figure out how to undo it. What do you want? I'm busy," I whispered loudly. I heard a loud "shhh" from somewhere in the stacks, and I rolled my eyes.

Edward leaned in closer, bathing my face in his soft, warm breath as he whispered quietly, "Library etiquette prevents you from yelling at me. I called your cell several times but it went to voicemail, so I went to your dorm and phoned Rosalie. She told me where to find you. We need to finish the discussion we were having last night before you decided that you were going to fake an illness to get out of actually talking to me," he whispered.

I had, indeed, taken the coward's way out. I'd told him that I was suddenly ill and needed to get back to my dorm. My stomach was rolling, but it had nothing to do with the hamburger that I left half eaten or the four fries I got down before I couldn't eat anymore.

Thankfully, he'd been sympathetic to my plight and took me straight back to school without any additional talking except a quick wish of "be well" when I bolted from his car without my bag which he graciously dropped off at the front desk. They called me an hour later to go pick it up.

"I don't see where we have anything to talk about. You're going to London, and I'm going to be here. You said you didn't know what to do about me, and I didn't realize that you needed to do _anything_ about me. You're Emmett's best friend, and that's the end of it," I summarized. I doubted it was the end of it.

"First, I'm not going to London for at least eighteen months, if I even go _then_. Second, your little dismissive comment regarding me needing to get laid, while not completely off the mark, wasn't the motivation behind my comments," he responded.

"The first time you saw Rosalie Hale, your hard-on nearly poked a hole in the wall of my dorm room," I reminded. My face was already red, so I didn't see how I could embarrass myself any further.

"I did _not_ have a…wait, unless you were checking me out, you wouldn't know if I had a hard-on or not. Were you checking me out?" he asked quietly with that damn grin on his face.

Okay, apparently, I _could_ embarrass myself further. I thought for a minute and chose another avenue. "That's beside the point. You flirted with her. You and Emmett argued over her, and you tried to get me to put in a good word for you," I snapped, getting another stern "shh" from the librarian.

"I did that because I wanted to see if it got a reaction from _you_," he replied. I bought that as much as I believed I could buy the Statue of Liberty.

"That's a pile of crap. You're not that good of an actor, Cullen," I observed as I began to grab my things to leave, feeling frustrated with the conversation and seeing nothing productive coming from it.

"Good enough to fool _you_. Ask Emmett. I told him I was just giving him shit with regard to Rosalie that very night because I like to give him shit," he told me. Since I was already getting banned from the library for my frequent outbursts, I threw caution to the wind and pulled out my cell, turning it on. I made sure it was on vibrate, and then I sent a quick text to Em to see if Edward was blowing smoke up my ass.

_**Em – The day you and Cullen met Rosalie, did he not have as much interest in her as you, and did he not flirt with her as much as you? B**_

I placed my phone on the mahogany library table to await a response, and I turned to Edward. "Why would you give a shit if I reacted to your flirting with Rosalie? I'm pretty certain that half the girls at Notre Dame have found their way into your SIM card and eventually your bed," I suggested, awaiting _his_ reaction.

He slammed his hand on the table earning his own "shh," and he gave me a look I hadn't seen before. "Goddammit, Bella. Where'd you ever get that idea? I haven't dated anyone in college, okay? I dated some in high school, but I'm very serious about my studies. I spend most of my fucking time in the library or in my room doing homework or trying to get ahead on my coursework. The only thing that takes me away from that is…" he began as my phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up, seeing it was from Emmett.

_**Please tell me why the fuck this matters right now? I'm busy. Big Em**_

God, he was an idiot. "What did he say?" Edward asked cockily.

I deleted the message and lied. "He has no idea what I'm talking about. Sorry, Cullen. I've gotta go," I announced as I got up from my chair and grabbed my things, leaving him stunned at the table. I saw him pull his phone out and begin furiously texting as I left the library with a smug smile on my face.

My smugness, however, wore off by the time I got back to my dorm. I got another text from Emmett saying I should call him as soon as possible because Edward was on his way back to Notre Dame to kick his ass across the quad.

I called him, and it didn't even ring before he answered. "What the fuck is wrong with Edward? He's so pissed off at me that he told me he's going to drag me out of the apartment by my dick, which I happen to value very much, and kick my ass from one end of campus to another. I'm gonna hate to give the boy a beat down since he's my best friend, but all of this bullshit seems to have something to do with you. What the fuck was he talking about when he called me a lying piece of shit?" Emmett asked.

I groaned. "He made some bullshit comment that the day you two met Rosalie, he wasn't really interested in her. He said he was just fucking with you, and I told him he was full of shit. He told me to ask you, and I told him that you didn't know what I was talking about," I responded.

I heard Emmett relating the story to someone whom I assumed was Rosalie, and I heard her laughing. She took the phone and began, "Bella, it's me. Emmett told me that Edward wasn't interested in me and was just fucking with him when I called him the first time. He thought I'd be pissed off about it, but I assured him I wasn't. I should have told you, but I thought you kids needed to sort things out on your own. What did you do to that man?" Rosalie asked.

It was just getting better and better. "I told him I thought he was basically full of shit. Where are you? I thought you and Alice were in _my_ room," I replied.

"Em came by your room when he and Edward came over to campus. I told Edward where you were, and then Em and I came to his place to cook dinner and watch a movie. Did Edward find you?" Rosalie asked.

"_Why is Edward looking for Silver Bells? I thought he was interested in that Candy girl,"_ Emmett offered in the background.

"God, you're so fucking clueless it's not even funny…it's cute, but it's not funny. Edward has the hots for Bella, Emmy Bear," Rosalie told him.

"_No fucking way. Not my little sister. We'll see who kicks whose ass across the quad,"_ I heard Emmett yell.

"God, I've got to go take care of this shit. If you care about Edward at all, you'd better text him not to come over here until I can calm Emmett down," Rosalie informed. I quickly said "good-bye" and hung up. I sent Edward a text, hoping his phone was on and that he wasn't back on campus yet.

_**I heard from Em and Rose…you weren't lying. Come back and let's just fucking talk, okay? B**_

I sat down on the cold concrete stairs of Blaire House waiting for a response, when I saw him walking up the sidewalk toward where I was sitting. "I was on my way to my car. I'm glad you caught me before I made the biggest mistake of my life by trying to beat the hell out of your brother and getting my ass handed to me in the process. I really don't want to spend any time in the hospital," he teased as he sat down next to me.

"I hate to tell you, but you might still get the shit beaten out of you…Rosalie told him that, um, th-that you…she believes that you…" I stammered.

"That I like you? All the time I've spent asking him about you, talking about you, and he's just now figuring it out? God, he's dense," Edward laughed.

"He, uh, he might have the impression that it's not just platonic. Look, I didn't give it to him, Rosalie did. And, yes, he's just that dense. In Emmett's eyes, I'm still the braces-wearing geek who cleans up dog shit for the neighbors. I don't think he'll ever see that I've grown up…well, I don't necessarily think you see it either. I think that's why you're so upset because you still see me as the sixteen-year-old tomboy you met a few years ago. I'm certainly not a fashionista or a sultry seductress, but I'm not sixteen, either," I responded without looking at him.

"Oh, trust me. I'm _well_ aware that you're not sixteen, Bella. You're unlike any other girl I've ever met, and I celebrated your eighteenth birthday just like I would have if I'd been with you. I couldn't act on my feelings for you until that day, and then after you graduated high school, I had to figure out how to get to know you and not just as Emmett's little sister. I tried to get him to talk your parents into letting you go away to school last semester, but I couldn't really get him on board with it without giving away my interest. When he told me that they'd agreed to let you come here in January, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face through the whole winter break," he confessed.

I was shocked about what he'd said, and then something else occurred to me. "Hey, why'd you bring Emmett to Muncie? He wasn't _that_ upset that he couldn't have driven down alone," I asked. It didn't occur to me at the time, but as I thought about it, it was really strange that Edward would drive to fucking Muncie and stay for the whole week when he could have gone anywhere or done anything else for Spring Break.

He laughed. "I was disappointed that you didn't come with us to Chicago. I had my sister all set to introduce Emmett to some of her friends from school so I could spend time with you. I asked you to dinner that Thursday night to try to talk you into it, but then you left without a word. When Emmett told me that your grandmother had a heart attack and you were in Muncie, I volunteered to drive him down and support him, telling him that my parents really wanted to go on vacation but they didn't trust Katie and me not to have a big party while they were gone.

"He told me how close you were with your grandmother and how upset he thought you'd be if something happened to her, so I wanted to be there for you. That's why I convinced him to let me come. If something, God forbid, had happened to your grandmother, I wanted to be there to support you. You mean a lot to me, Bella, and if something hurts you, I want to be there to try to make things better. I know that this is all news to you, but I hope over time you'll see it's not just a fly-by-night thing.

"I changed my major because I had no idea how the hell I could go to medical school and through a residency and have any time for you, that is, if you'd even entertain an idea of spending time with me, much less ask you to sit home and wait for me to have an hour here or there to see you. That wasn't fair to you, and really, I wasn't _that _set on a career in medicine. My parents aren't thrilled that I changed my major, and I'll have to take a few on-line classes over the summer to catch up in my required coursework, but I'll graduate next year and then go to business school for my MBA. I haven't started applying yet because I needed to see where things are with us before I make plans," he finished.

I was about to melt into the concrete at his confession because I was just as fucking dense as my brother. I deduced that it must be genetic because I certainly had no clue about anything that he was telling me. I covertly reached down and pinched my ankle hard just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It wouldn't have been the first time I'd dreamed about Edward Cullen, after all.

"So, where does that leave us, Miss Swan?" he asked.

My ass was getting cold, and knowing that Rosalie was at _their_ apartment, I hoped that Alice and Jasper weren't going at each other in our dorm room. We needed to keep talking until we reached some sort of consensus, or I was never going to get a minute's sleep that night and I had an early class on Monday morning.

"Um, my butt's cold. Can we go up to my room and see if Alice and Jasper are there? I'd send a text, but I've found that when they're, um, busy, they don't stop and answer. Since Em and Rosalie are at your place and you're here, it's seems like a good idea to go somewhere warm to talk," I suggested.

"Shit. That's going to be a problem in the future, isn't it? Well, I'll talk to Emmett, and we'll figure it out," Edward remarked.

"Figure what out?" I asked dumbly as I walked up the stairs to my building and flashed my student ID at the card reader to get into the building. When the door buzzed, he pulled it open and we walked inside.

"Well, I'd like to spend time with you at my place, but if Emmett's going to be an ass about us seeing each other, then he and I are going to have to work out a schedule. Rosalie has her own room here, so they can spend time here, and you can spend time with me at my place," he deduced.

I looked at him with what I'm sure were owl eyes as we stood waiting for the elevator, and he smirked. "Oh, I guess you're not exactly there yet, are you? Well, we'll figure it out," he responded cockily.

We stepped into the elevator, and he took my bag from my shoulder and slipped it onto his. He took my hand and held it, and I felt my whole body light on fire. He'd touched me innocently before, and he'd even slept with me, platonically, at my gran's house, but it was blatant that him holding my hand was unlike any other touching that had taken place between us in the past.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but when the elevator chimed on the second floor and he led me off of it, I was in a fog. It was all a huge surprise to me, and the fact that this stunningly handsome man was holding my hand, carrying my book bag on his shoulder, and leading me down the hallway toward my dorm room, had me thunderstruck.

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_**E/N: Well, now…we have a bit more information, don't we? Can't wait to hear from you! Love your thoughts! **_

_**Thank you for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Oh, man! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm bowled over! Thank you so much!**_

_**NOTE: This will be the last chapter of this story that I post for a week. Sorry, but RL is in the way and I've got to go deal with some residual issues regarding my father's passing. There's no WiFi…I'm just glad there's electricity! As soon as I get home, I'll get right back to you, I promise. In the meantime, I'm giving you something I know you all want very much…**_

_**Scorpio11 is my beta on this one and she keeps me on the straight and narrow, pointing out my errors, as well as when I've confused the shit out of her. You owe her a debt of gratitude for making this story better.**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. I don't infringe.**_

_**\\\**_

6. Startling Reactions

##

When we arrived at the room, there was no sock on the door knob which actually surprised me, but then again, maybe Jasper's roommate wasn't back yet and he and Alice were in his room? I didn't know, and I wasn't going to really question it. I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door, flipping on the light and seeing the couple was nowhere in sight.

"Um, so, make yourself at home. Are you hungry? I can order a pizza or Chinese?" I asked, not really knowing what else to say. We had no food except for maybe some stale Oreos that we hadn't thrown out before we left for Spring Break or some Cheez-Its, but that was about it.

"It's only 4:00 PM. Are you hungry? I'd like to take you to dinner later unless you're into early-bird specials," he teased. I truly had no idea what time it really was because the day, with all of its revelations, seemed to be endless.

"No, I'm fine. I was just trying to be hospitable," I replied absentmindedly as I skimmed the floor to be sure there wasn't an errant pair of panties in plain sight.

He slipped off his _Northface_ jacket and tossed it on Alice's bed, sitting down on my bed and scooting back to lean against the wall as he kicked off his shoes while making himself at home as I'd invited. "So, are you going to stand there popping your knuckles, or are you going to sit down and talk this out with me?" he asked.

I exhaled heavily and pulled off my own coat, tossing it next to his on Alice's bed and kicking off my shoes. I climbed onto my bed and crossed my legs into a pretzel, facing him. "Okay, talk," I ordered.

"Oh, I've talked quite a lot. I need answers from _you_ now. I have feelings for you that are well beyond platonic, and you've hedged around giving me a response for at least an hour. I know you can't come up with a five-year plan in that amount of time, but you gotta give me something. Let's start with simple. Do you see me as anything more than Emmett's best friend?" he asked. I nodded in the affirmative.

"Sorry, but I'm closing my eyes so you're going to have to actually speak," he replied as he laced his fingers together behind his head and closed his eyes, relaxing against the wall.

"I do see you as something more than Emmett's friend. Do you see me as something more than Emmett's little sister?" I asked as I played with the fraying hem of my jeans nervously.

I watched him as he smiled and opened one eye. "Trust me, sweetheart, there's nothing about you that reminds me of Emmett. Now, since you've admitted that you see me as more than Emmett's best friend, how do you see me?" he asked as his eye snapped shut. It was actually a relief that he wasn't looking at me because I was certain that I was glowing like a pink glow stick.

I cleared my throat and pulled my hair back from my face, searching the nightstand for a hair elastic. I found one and pulled my hair up. "I think you're a very attractive guy with a good sense of humor, and I have a hard time accepting that you're interested in me as anything more than a friend," I confessed.

He opened his beautiful green eyes and looked at me, mirroring my position on the bed. "Jesus Christ, _why_? You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met, Bella. _You _are a natural beauty. No make-up or hairstyle or designer clothes on the planet could make me see you as any more beautiful than you are right now. Why don't you see that about yourself? But, that's not the thing that draws me to you. You're mind and personality and wit make up a perfect package in my eyes," he replied as he leaned forward a bit, looking into my eyes.

I was nearly breathless, and without any thought on my part whatsoever, I fucking launched myself at him. His words had completely surprised me, so I jumped him, knocking him down onto my pillow with me on top of him, kissing him for the first time ever. I hated that I was the one to initiate it, but if that was what it took to show him how much I appreciated his words, then that was exactly what I'd give him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted my lips firmly against his. Maybe it was a bit too firmly because he pushed me away a bit. "Sorry, but legs…are…trapped," he whispered as he spread out on my bed and then pulled me back down on top of him, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me close, kissing me back. I was fighting with the surprise of it because the vision of me kissing Edward Cullen was one that I never thought I'd ever see. Well, I couldn't really see it, but some day, I'd set up my tripod and capture that shit on film.

I felt his tongue caress my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth to him, sweeping my tongue with his. I'd kissed Tyler Crowley, but nothing like the way I was kissing Edward. It was a giant step in my world. The moan from him as our tongues continued to swirl with each other was amazing…then, he gently rolled me onto my back and wrapped his left arm around my waist, pulling me closer. I was about to shoot off the bed.

For the first time in my life, I felt the "wetness" that I'd heard about in movies, read about in books and fanfiction, and had hoped and prayed I'd experience at some point in my life. The throbbing in my lower body was a sensation that I wasn't sure I was capable of feeling, but I was feeling it with him.

He broke the kiss and looked into my eyes which I was certain were as big as silver dollars. They'd been closed before he stopped kissing me, and I was actually enjoying the colorful display of flashing lights behind them, but when he pulled away, I had to know if I'd done something wrong. _This shit was all new to me._

"I've had dreams about this very thing, you know," he whispered as he kissed along my cheek and then down my neck, leaving a trail of heat that I'd never felt in my entire life.

"Uh, _oh_?" was all that came out. _It was brilliant, wasn't it?_

"Tell me when to stop," he whispered as his hand snaked up under my sweater and stroked the bare skin of my lower back. _Stop? Was he fucking serious? Who was stopping anything?_

Then, I remembered Alice and Jasper. "Um, hang on a minute. I need a sock," I announced as I moved away from him, much to my dislike.

"A sock?" he asked with a chuckle in his voice.

"Yeah, that's actually our signal. I've been shut out of this room many a night, and it's my turn now," I responded as I pulled a black cotton sock from his attractive foot and opened the door to my room. I didn't know how far we'd get, but I'd be damned if Jasper and Alice were going to interrupt us.

After I hung it over the door knob, closing and locking the door, I slowly climbed up onto the bed and situated myself facing him on my side. "As you were, Cullen," I whispered, waiting for him to kiss me again.

He draped his gorgeous body across mine and pulled my hair down from the ponytail, tangling his hands in it. I was fucking giddy because, hell, I was making out with Edward Fucking Cullen. Who wouldn't be giddy over that…I didn't want to think about how many women had been giddy about it. I was just glad _that _time it was me.

"I've never made out with a girl in a dorm room. This is one more rite of passage I can tick off my list," he whispered as his lips planted themselves on my neck and sucked on the skin where my shoulder met my neck, leading my imagination down the road of similar encounters I'd read about…mostly on the internet. If everything went the way I hoped, he'd pull off my top and make those same marks on my boobs and then move his way down my body taking off my clothes in the process.

By 6:00 PM that Sunday evening, I'd no longer be the revered virgin photographing the plight of the less fortunate throughout third-world countries. At least that was what I hoped would happen.

"I've never even _had_ a guy in my dorm room, much less made out with him, so imagine my…_jeez_ …surprise," I gasped as his hand skimmed my abdomen again, raising my shirt. As I moved my hands to pull off my top, ready to be naked with him, he pulled away.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he looked into my eyes.

"I was…I was going to take off my top. I mean, that's where we're headed, right? I don't have any condoms, though. Do you?" I asked as I reached behind me and unsnapped my bra, pulling one strap down one sleeve and then pulling it off down the other one, tossing it on the floor.

I saw him look at me for a minute, and then quickly jump up from the bed, stumbling around a bit. I assumed he was going to strip off, so I reached for the button on my jeans, but he stopped me. "Bella, stop. Jesus fuck. I can't believe…I'm a fucking idiot, but I'm going to stop you because apparently, all common sense has left my brain. I'm not here to have…I think it's too soon for us to…that's _not_ what I'm after, okay?" he asked.

I covered my chest, feeling completely embarrassed even though I still had on my top. I'd misjudged the whole thing. What a fucking idiotic virgin I was. I couldn't speak because I had no idea what was going to come out of my mouth. All I could do was cry at the rejection, and hell, I couldn't hold it back. The tears came without my bidding, and I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my forehead on my knees, sobbing as quietly as possible.

"No, no, no. God, don't cry. You're misreading this whole thing. It's not that I don't _want_ to, trust me. It's just that it's too soon, Bella. We need to…shit…please, baby, don't cry," he consoled as he climbed up on the bed and sat next to me, pulling me into his arms.

As much as I would have liked to oblige him and stop crying, I couldn't. Humiliation was a powerful stimulant to tears, and I was completely engulfed in it. "Please, look at me. Love, I _do_ want that with you, in time. I just want us to…Bella, look at me," he ordered.

I lifted my head and looked at him as the fucking tears fell. He took the sleeve of his sweater and dried them, smiling at me. "God, please don't cry. I want you with everything in me, but I want you to get to know me first. I want to take you on dates and sit at my place on the couch with you and watch movies that we'll not watch because we're too busy kissing, and I want to take walks with you and study with you and sit out on a bench in the park with my head on your lap talking about future plans. This isn't a college fling for me, Bella. I want this to be a long-term thing," he explained.

His words were so sweet, but if he really thought _that_ was going to make me stop crying, he was out of his mind. I felt like a slut for throwing myself at him, and the realization of what I'd insinuated only made me feel worse. "I'm not a whore, Edward. I've never even been with _anyone_," I whispered.

I saw the smile on his face, and when he gently kissed my lips and stroked my cheek, I took a deep breath to calm down. "God, I know that. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm unhappy about that, but I want us to get there at our own pace, Bella. You deserve to be treated as the wonderful young woman you are, and I won't rush us into anything. I'd never, ever, take advantage of you. I know how special you are, and I intend to show you that," he whispered as he kissed my forehead and held me close.

"How, um, how'd you know that I've never…that I'm a virgin?" I asked. It wasn't like I advertised that shit, as I believe I've mentioned.

"Oh, I didn't know for sure, but I had my suspicions. Emmett scared away any guy who ever came around, and knowing your dad, I was pretty sure that he was pretty strict as well. It's not the reason I'm attracted to you, okay? I'm not a Casanova who's out to take your virginity and then leave you. I'm not planning to leave you, okay? And, well, the rest of it will come in time. Never question that I want you, Bella, because I do more than anything, but you're far too important to me for it to be casual. It will happen when we _both_ think that it's right, and not just because you think it's what I expect, okay?" he asked.

Before I could comment, he kissed me again. It was a gentle brush of his lips against mine, and then he pulled us down on the bed and really kissed me again. So, maybe we weren't going to do the deed that evening, but the kissing was in-fucking-credible. His tongue was quite talented, and I felt like mush as he kissed me and held me. We made out on my little bed for quite a while, and then my stomach growled mid-kiss, which caused both of us to laugh.

He pulled away, beautiful swollen lips and all, and looked into my eyes as he propped his head on his hand. "So, Miss Swan, where can I take you to dinner?" he asked.

I laughed at the look of satisfaction on his face. Obviously, he knew that I was completely insane about him, and even a moron could see it. "Great Wall?" I asked. A little sweet-and-sour chicken sounded pretty good about that time.

"Ah, so my girlfriend likes Chinese. Note to self. Can I, um, use your restroom?" he asked as he discreetly tried to hide the erection he'd been sporting. I felt it against my hip as we kissed, and I was high-fiving myself the whole time for giving it to him.

"Sure, I'll just put my bra back on while you're gone," I laughed, remembering my brazen behavior.

"Uh, how about _no_? I think not," he responded with a wink as he went into our bathroom and closed the door. Just before it closed, I saw that he had one barefoot and one sock-clad foot, and I remembered the sock on the door. I picked my bra up from the floor and tossed it in the laundry basket before I retrieved his other sock.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror over Alice's dresser and saw a hickey that was hidden if I adjusted my top. I wasn't really sorry about it at all.

##

Dinner that night was great. We sat on the same side of the booth and laughed and talked, and he kissed me at the oddest times just because he could, as he stated. He proffered some ridiculous "boyfriend prerogative" which led us into a discussion about not seeing other people, which certainly wasn't a problem for me, and he informed me that under the auspices of being boyfriend/girlfriend, there were certain obligations.

"Oh, and what might those be?" I asked as we broke our fortune cookies. I read mine and it read "_Never stop searching until you find your heart's desire._" I laughed. _That Confucius was one smart son-of-a-gun._

"Well, as I've heard it described…now mind you, I've never actually _had_ a girlfriend before, but I've had friends who go on and on about it…you call me when you think about me, and I reciprocate. If one or the other doesn't answer, it's expected that a voicemail will be left explaining the nature of the call…for instance, '_I missed you and wanted to tell you I hope you have a good day_,' or something of that nature. I believe a text message conveying the sentiment is acceptable," he offered.

I laughed. "God, I'm in a lesbian relationship for the first time in my life. Please don't sit around and doodle my name on your notebook. It will cause Emmett to unleash hell on you," I teased.

"Are you questioning my manhood, Swan?" he asked as he cracked his fortune cookie. Oh, I wasn't questioning it at all. I'd felt it against my hip, and I knew it was there, that was for sure.

"Not at all, Cullen. I've been up close and personal with it. So what's yours say?" I asked as I pointed toward his fortune.

"_Take pleasure in the simple things. They mean more than you know_," he read, turning to me and kissing me gently on the lips. _As I said, that Confucius was a smart son-of-a-gun._

##

When I walked back into our dorm room from my 8:00 AM, I saw a vase of flowers on my desk with a post-it from Alice on the front of it. "_You owe me lunch for the haircut and all of the stellar advice I gave you._" I laughed.

Edward and I had both been busy gearing back up for the rest of the semester after spring break, but we talked regularly and had had a few dinners together. It had all been completely innocent, save a bit of him actually groping my ass before he dropped me off at night, but I was enjoying it to the fullest.

I plucked the card, taking a deep breath of the scent, and although I had no idea what they were, the small white flowers smelled incredible. When I pulled the card, I wasn't at all surprised by the message.

_I Googled it. This is the type of thing a boyfriend does. I'll be thinking of you all day. Thank you for yesterday. Text me later. Cullen_

I smiled to myself as I pulled out my phone and sent him a text, knowing he was in class as well.

_**I know you're in class, but thank you. They're beautiful and they smell great…but not as great as you. I hope you're having a great day. Swan**_

I took another deep breath and made my bed, wishing he'd been in it with me to mess up the covers. I'd had a fitful night's sleep because the man consumed my dreams, but in a very, very good way. The good-night kiss when he dropped me off from our date the night before was enough to drive me mad.

I pulled out my Chemistry textbook to familiarize myself with the chapters we'd been through before the break because I was certain that Professor Molina would have a test or a quiz at the ready. He liked to pop that shit on us at the most inopportune times.

As I was moving through the chapter, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Rosalie standing there with a smug smile on her face. "Yes?" I joked. I saw her eyes dart to the desk and see the flowers.

"Oh, can you get him to rub off on your brother? I've never received flowers from a guy before. You're the talk of the floor. So?" she asked. I looked at my watch, and saw I had about half an hour before I needed to make it over to my Chem class.

"Come in. Sit down. Can I offer you water?" I asked as I bowed deeply at the door, causing her to laugh.

"You're a smartass just like your brother. Thanks for the offer, but I'm okay. How's it been going?" she asked as she sat on Alice's bed and crossed her legs. I sat on mine and did the same thing with what I was sure was the goofiest smile in the world.

"We've hammered out a few things. Exclusivity. Waiting for sex, which I hate, but he says we need to get to know each other, and I'm not a one-night stand, so that's gotta be good, right?" I asked sincerely.

She squealed much like Alice and clapped her hands. "That's absolutely perfect. I knew it. The big ass that's your brother is set to give him ten kinds of hell but I'll handle him. He's actually going to be a keeper for me. He's exactly the kind of guy I'm looking for. I don't know if the football aspirations will come to fruition for him, but he seems to have a long-term plan," she offered.

I hated the fact that I did a double take on her. It wasn't that I wasn't happy for them because I was, but I was pretty sure that anything that didn't include Emmett being picked up by an NFL team would be a disappointment to him. I hated to tell it to her, but I felt like maybe I should.

"Rosalie, I'm not sure how committed Em actually is to the whole pre-law thing. I mean, he's barely screeched by in more than one grading period, and his GPA is just enough to keep him from losing his scholarship," I confessed, feeling like I was betraying my brother. I liked her, and she needed to know what Emmett Swan brought to the table. If he wasn't going to tell her, I was.

"Bella, sweetie, I know that. My goal is to get him to do better with school in case that doesn't happen. I have the perfect tool, and I think you'll see a vast improvement in his grades," she teased.

I was pretty sure I knew to what she was referring, and if it would work, good luck to her. Emmett needed some sort of incentive instead of just getting by. If Rosalie withholding her sexual favors would do it, then I was all for it.

After she left, I positioned the flowers on the window sill of our room and caught the morning sun on them. I pulled out my old Nikon camera, snapping a roll of black and white film, capturing them at every angle. I'd develop them after my classes were over for the day because it was the first time a boy had ever sent me flowers, and I wanted to commemorate it on film. I was certain I'd pull the photos out and look at them for the rest of my life.

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_**E/N: So, we got a little kissin' in, but what do you think is his deal regarding what happened in her dorm room? Lemme hear from ya!**_

_**On another note: I saw Access Hollywood tonight and the lead story was RPatz doing publicity for "Cosmopolis" on "The Daily Show." God, he looked yummy…(insert waggling eyebrows and despicable drooling here).**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**Till next week…xoxo**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: HELLO! I'm back! I love you all for your reviews, by the way. Let's not waste a lot of time. Scorpio11 is my beta, and trust me, she had her work cut out for her on this one.**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement on my part whatsoever.**_

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7. Perceptions

##

The week was hellacious. Edward was busy with a project and couldn't get away, though he sent me texts several times a day, and we talked before bed every night. We were set to go out on Friday night, and I was looking forward to it.

On Thursday afternoon, I was sitting in Johns Hall cafeteria enjoying a cup of tea when a disheveled Ben Cheney sat down across from me, uninvited. "Hi, Bella. Sorry to bother you, but I've got a question," he began.

I froze. I was certain that Alice and Jasper had enlightened him that I was seeing someone, so why he was sitting there across from me had me worried. I wasn't a heart-breaker by anyone's imagination, and I sure didn't want to break his because he seemed like a great guy.

"Um, sure," I answered noncommittally.

"Angela Weber is in some of your photography classes, right? What's her deal?" he asked. I was surprised, but when I thought about it, I wasn't really. She was a sweet girl, and the longer I dwelled on it, the more it sounded like a perfect match.

"She is, and we've worked on several projects together. What I know is that she's shy, but she's single, why?" I asked coyly. I could see it all over his face…he was smitten.

"She's really cute, and I'd like to ask her out but I'm scared to death that she'll say no," he confessed nervously.

I took his shaking hand and held it, looking into his eyes. "Ben, she's a girl and you're a guy. I'm pretty sure that she'll say yes. I think you two will be perfect together," I assured.

"Hello, Sweetheart. Who's _this_?" I heard behind me. I knew the agitated voice immediately, and I turned to look at him, not certain how he'd found me until I saw Emmett talking to Rosalie at another table with her study group for one of her classes.

"Edward, this is Ben Cheney, Jasper's roommate. Ben, this is my boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Ben was just asking about one of my friends from one of my classes, and I was just assuring him that she would probably like to go out with him," I informed him to stave off the jealous bite in his voice.

"Oh, that's great. So, Ben, are you in Bella's photography classes?" Edward asked as he sat down and wrapped a protective…possessive…arm around my shoulders.

"Art History. I just know Bella through Jasper. I didn't mean anything by sitting down with her," Ben offered quickly in defense.

"Ben, it's fine," I replied as I settled into Edward's shoulder, feeling him chuckle next to me.

"No problem. I mean, my girlfriend is a beautiful girl, so I get a bit concerned when I see her sitting with a guy holding hands, but if you say there's no need for me to kick your ass because you're only interested in her friend, then we have no problem," Edward chided.

I turned to him and saw the cocky grin, and I laughed. "Don't be an asshole. He's a nice guy, and there's nothing going on. What? We've got trust issues?" I asked, hearing Ben scoot out his chair and leave quickly without another word.

He swiftly kissed my lips and smiled. "No, it's just…let's say you walk up to me at a table in the cafeteria and a girl you don't know is holding my hand…you're fine with that?" he asked.

I thought about it and saw that what he'd walked up on, and while completely innocent, it could be mistaken for something else. I felt like shit about it, and I needed to reassure him that there was nothing to it. "Okay, you're absolutely right. I'd jump to a conclusion and get pissed off, so I'm sorry. I'm just not used to being someone's girlfriend, and well, we haven't had much time together this week because we're both busy. I apologize, and it won't happen again," I promised.

He kissed me…not so chastely…and when he pulled away, he smiled. "I know it's new, but we'll adjust. Now, I'm on a study break, so I wanted to come see you. I've missed you a shit ton. Your picture is perfect, but it doesn't do you justice, and it's a poor substitute for the real thing. I was thinking that maybe you'd come spend the weekend with me at my place?" he asked.

I was very much on board with that idea until I remembered my brother. "What about Emmett?" I asked.

"That's the best part. Rosalie wants to go to see her sister in Ohio, and she's invited Emmett. They're leaving early tomorrow and will be home late on Sunday. So?" he asked.

I'd checked out with everyone during the week because I had papers to write, and Edward basically consumed my thoughts when I wasn't sleeping or studying, so I wasn't surprised I didn't really know what everyone else had planned. The offer sounded fantastic. "Um, sure. I can get the bus over, just tell me when," I announced confidently.

"Fuck the bus. I'll pick you up after your two o'clock. I've got a phone interview for a summer internship at one o'clock, but I don't think it'll take very long," he replied.

"Oh, with whom?" I asked.

"The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. It fits in with my degree perfectly," he responded. An internship in Chicago meant he'd be in Chicago for the summer, and I'd be in Bluefield. I hadn't even considered being apart from him for an extended period of time, but it was definitely a reality. I frowned at the mere prospect of it.

"You know, love, you need to talk to your parents about what good friends you are with my sister so you can come visit us in Chicago. Katie's dying to meet you, and from what I understand, Emmett's planning to go to New York for the summer. Um, I'd let him bring that up with your parents if I were you because I'm not sure what the hell kind of story he's concocting. If you're friends with my sister, then they won't think anything of you coming to visit. I know we'll have to spend _some_ time apart because I doubt they'll let you come for the _whole_ summer, but I don't want it to be too long," he remarked.

"I'll figure out how to deal with my parents. I'd love to spend the weekend with you at your place," I told him as I kissed him. He looked at his watch and sighed.

"I've got to go. I'll pick you up tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, Babe," he told me as he kissed me sweetly again. Oh, I was looking forward to it as well. It held a whole lot of promise.

##

That evening as I was working on a project for my Photography I Workshop, Alice skipped into our room looking quite happy. "So, is it going to bother you if Jasper spends the weekend with us? We've been trying to respect your and Edward's privacy, but I've really missed Jazz, and Ben's not going home this weekend because he's got a date," Alice volunteered. I was actually happy to hear _that_ news because it meant that he'd asked Angela out, and I knew that she'd be giddy about it.

It occurred to me that Alice had never actually met Edward, and I decided that I needed to get the four of us together soon because she was becoming a very good friend of mine. "I'm going to stay at his place this weekend. My brother's going to Ohio with Rosalie, so I can stay there without getting too much shit about it," I informed.

Alice, being Alice, squealed and kicked her feet in the air like a lunatic. It was pretty funny to watch. I laughed as I closed my portfolio and stacked my books on my desk, settling in to catch her up on my life. The two of us had been very busy after spring break, and it occurred to me that I didn't really know what was going on with her.

"Okay, calm down. Have pity on the wildlife in the area who can hear that high-pitched squeal," I joked. After she calmed down, I waited for the grilling that I was expecting.

"So, how'd it all come about?" Alice asked as she grabbed a bag of Doritos from her desk and opened them. I guessed that was a signal that she wasn't seeing Jasper that night because those things were lethal to your breath.

I explained to her about what had occurred after our breakfast the Sunday before school started back up, and what had happened that afternoon when he found me in the cafeteria with Ben. She nodded and gushed at all of the appropriate places like any good girlfriend would, and when I was finished, she squealed again.

She looked at me and stopped mid-squeal. "What? What's got that look on your face?" she asked. I didn't realize I had a "look" on my face, but I assumed it had to do with the idea of being away from him over the summer.

"Well, he's got a phone interview tomorrow for an internship in Chicago which means that I'll be back in Bluefield for the summer while he'll be in Chicago. We won't get to see each other at all. I mean, if he gets a job, he won't be able to come visit me, though if Emmett goes to New York, I guess he wouldn't have any reason to without alerting my parents that he and I are more than just friends. If you think Emmett's overly protective, you should meet our dad," I informed.

"Why can't you go visit him?" Alice asked. It was exactly what Edward had suggested, but I had my reservations.

"Okay, Edward suggested the same thing, but here's my thought. He said I should start acclimating my parents to the idea that his sister, Katie, and I are good friends and that I want to go visit her over the summer. That's good in theory, but I've never met her. What if she hates me? And I'd be staying with his parents, and what if they hate me? He'll be gone every day to work, and I'll be stuck in a house that's not mine with people who don't like me. I just couldn't do that Alice," I confessed.

She thought for a minute and began her summary of the dilemma. "Okay, so if I've followed this correctly, you don't know the sister or his parents. He wants you to visit over the summer, and he suggested you use his sister as the reason for said visit. Only one thing to do. Before you begin the snow job with your parents, you need to meet the sister to see if you can even tolerate _her_. Forget if she likes _you_…what if you hate _her_?" Alice pointed out.

Yeah, she had a point. I was going to need to meet his sister. I wasn't looking forward to suggesting it because if she and I didn't get along, I had no idea what that meant for Edward and me. He seemed very fond of her…hell, she was his sister and as much as Emmett bugged the piss out of me, I cared about what he thought about my friends. I might not listen too carefully, but I did care. It certainly was a quandary.

##

At 3:30 PM the next day, my phone pinged on my desk as I finished packing. The night before, Alice had helped me put together a few outfits that would work for whatever Edward had planned for the weekend, and if he didn't plan to leave the apartment, I had stuff for that too…two sexy gowns that Alice gave me from her ginormous stash of lingerie that her cousin, a buyer for some high-end boutique, sent her on a near-daily basis.

I picked up my cell and saw a text from Edward that made me smile.

_**Babe I'm here. If you're not ready, can you come get me? I missed you. E **_

I grabbed my stuff and ran down the stairs, skipping the elevator all together. I'd taken extra time with my hair before class, and I'd actually worn a little bit of lip stain and mascara, so I hoped that I looked as great as Alice and Jasper had assured when he dropped off his stuff at our room before they went to some sporting event.

I walked out into the main lobby and saw Edward pacing nervously outside the glass front doors of Blaire House. "Ummm, _Bell-ah_…who is that yummy guy?" asked Natalie, the less-than-intelligent girl who worked at the front desk what seemed like all-the-fucking time. I had no idea where the accent came from, but it most definitely wasn't one I'd ever heard.

I looked at her and back to where he was standing outside the door, twirling his keys and smiling at me, and I responded, "That's my boyfriend, Edward. Have a great weekend." I sounded like a fucking fangirl, but I didn't give a damn. I was happy to be the President of the Edward Cullen Fan Club. There was only one member as far as I was concerned…me.

Without waiting for anything more from her after I heard the "lucky bitch" under her breath, I hurried toward the door and quickly opened it, dropping my bags and jumping into his arms. He caught me and didn't even stumble. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, feeling his hands settle on my ass, and I kissed him solidly for the benefit of the idiot shooting daggers at me through the glass. If she thought I was a "lucky bitch" before I walked out that door, I was pretty sure she was coming up with other names for me after my slutty display.

"Wow, you missed me too? I'm a pretty fortunate bastard. Come on, let's go ho…to my place," he announced as he pecked me on the lips and gently put me on my feet. He grabbed my overnight bag and my backpack, and he took my hand, leading me to his car parked in the fire zone in front of my building.

As we drove across town, my phone pinged in my purse. I reached down and pulled it out, seeing a text from my brother. I rolled my eyes as I opened it.

_**If we weren't almost at Rosie's sister's place, I'd come back and beat the shit out of Cullen. You tell him if he touches a hair on your head this weekend, he won't have to worry about applying to grad schools. You sleep in my room, you understand?**_

I laughed and turned to Edward. "What?" he asked as he passed a car, apparently in a hell of a hurry to get to his place.

"Emmett. If you touch a hair on my head, you won't have to worry about grad schools. I'm to sleep in his room. I'm guessing Rosalie told him I'm spending the weekend with you. What have you said about us?" I asked curiously.

"_Sleep_ in there? Shit, I won't even _go_ in there, and I make him keep the fucking door closed. He's a goddamn pig, and I swear, I've never seen the guy wash his sheets. If you don't want to share my bed…which gets changed on a regular basis and was changed this very afternoon while I was on the phone for my interview…I'll take the couch. With regard to our relationship, I told him that I've taken you on a few dates and that I'll treat you like gold. There have been many unsavory threats to my anatomy, but now that he's wrapped around Rosalie's finger, who, by the way is completely on our side, I don't think I'll have to sleep with one eye open very often," Edward replied. I cracked up imagining my brother's creative threats.

But if Emmett thought he was going to dictate how my relationship with Edward was going to go, he was off his fucking rocker. I sent Rosalie a text telling her about Emmett's threats, and received a response from her that she'd "handle it." I had no doubt that she would.

We pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building, and he hopped out and quickly strolled to the passenger side of the car, opening my door and taking my hand to help me out. I'd never been there, and I was anxious to see it. I knew how sloppy my brother was, having grown up with the stupid ass, and I was sure that he probably drove Edward as crazy as he drove my mom when he was at home.

"How _did_ your interview go?" I asked. It seemed like a good way to segue into the situation with his sister.

"It was with another section that was interested in me. At Christmas, I went in for an in-person interview to work in the Statistics Division, but an opening came up in their International Finance area that they thought might be a better fit. I think I've got a choice between the two," he boasted with a smug smile on his face.

I stopped him as we were heading up the stairs to the building entrance and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Congratulations. I need to think about a job over the summer. I'd planned to put in applications around town while I was home for spring break, but that didn't exactly happen," I responded, referring to the trip to Muncie.

"Hey, you could apply for jobs in Chicago. That would be the perfect way to spend the summer together," he suggested as we waited for the elevator of his building.

"I don't know what I'd be qualified to do. Besides, I don't think I'd like living in a box or at a shelter. I definitely wouldn't have the scratch to get my own place," I replied as we got onto the elevator with Edward punching the three button.

"Why the fuck would you think you'd be living in a shelter or a box? You can stay with me at my parents' place. We've got plenty of room, and they wouldn't mind," he suggested as we walked down the hallway, stopping in front of unit 304.

"Yeah, we need to talk about all of that. Look, I don't know if me using your sister as an excuse to come to Chicago over the summer is such a good idea. I mean, I don't know your sister, and she might hate my guts and think I'm completely wrong for you. Plus, your parents have met Emmett, so I can only imagine the preconceived notions they have of my whole family. If they hate me, we'll be over before we ever really get started," I whined. I didn't mean to whine, but the gravity of the situation put that annoying nasally sound in my voice. Not my proudest moment.

He dropped my bags on the couch once we were inside and turned to where I stood waiting for any type of response. "First, believe it or not…because I sure as shit didn't in the beginning…your brother has charmed my whole family. They love him. He clears the table; he compliments my mom; and he teases my sister to the point that for a while, she had a crush on him. Second, I've talked to my family about you over time, and they're very anxious to meet you.

"Bella, honey, they're going to love you, okay? How about I get them to come for a visit so you can meet them? If you don't get along with them or feel uncomfortable around them at all, then we'll think of another way to be able to see each other over the summer," he suggested.

_Emmett? _

_Charming? _

That had to be bullshit. Helping clear the table and complimenting Edward's mother? That made no fucking sense whatsoever_._ "That doesn't sound like the Emmett I know," I volunteered as I took off my coat and hung it on a hook by the door, dropping my purse onto the sofa with my bags.

"I know, right? Look, I'll call my sister, and you can talk to her. Bella, I promise you and Katie will get along," he pushed as he went to the house phone and pressed the speaker button, quickly dialing a number.

It rang twice, and then a happy "Eddie! How was your interview?" blasted through the line from a feminine voice that reminded me a lot of Alice.

"Hey, Katie. It went okay. I'll know next week if I have two offers or just the one. Listen, Bella's here with me, and I thought that maybe you two could get to know each other. I wanna have you, mom, and dad to come for a visit before the end of the year so you can actually meet in person, but I want her to come to Chicago over the summer, and she's nervous about it," he informed. I reached up and slapped him on the back of the head, feeling the color rise in my face at his comment to his sister.

"_Ow_!" he moaned as he pulled me to stand in front of him, pinning my arms at my sides and kissing the side of my neck.

I heard her laughing. "Let me guess…back of the head, Bella?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. I'm sorry he's put you on the spot like this. I plan to make him miserable this weekend because of it," I told her as my eyes closed. Edward kissing my neck got me every time.

"I'm all for you making him suffer, but don't worry about it. Eddie's talked about you for a long time, so we're all anxious to meet you. Maybe you and I could get to know each other over e-mail and stuff because Emmett tells me you're kind of shy so it could be a way to break the ice. I'd love to come for a visit, Eddie. Do Mom and Dad _have_ to come?" she whined. I didn't feel so bad about my whining after hearing that.

"Actually, that's a better idea. Mom and Dad are going to love her already, so why don't you come next weekend? It's the Spring Fling at Bella's school, so it should be fun," he suggested, looking at me. I shrugged. I had no idea what the hell that was, having never been there before for the festivities. There were flyers all over campus, so I guessed it was a big deal, but I'd barely paid attention to them.

"Sounds cool. I'll make it happen. So, where's Emmett?" Katie asked. Edward laughed.

I had to clear something up immediately. "Is it true that you have a crush on my brother?" I asked.

"Not _have…had_. It was a couple of years ago when Eddie brought him home for a weekend. We kissed one time, but it felt too weird so we just fell into being friends. I know that's not the case with you and Edward because he's been going on about you before it was appropriate to do so," she laughed.

"Thanks a fucking lot," Edward replied sarcastically.

I chuckled which caused him to bite my neck, sending a jolt through my whole body. "I can tell you that your brother and I are more than just friends," I gasped. I couldn't help it. The man caused a very definite reaction in me and I didn't have the strength nor the inclination to disguise it.

"_Ew_. I can tell my brother's doing something disgusting so I'm going to hang up. Eddie, give her my e-mail and cell. Bella, I look forward to getting to know you. Have a great…oh, Eddie, can I bring Garrett?" she asked. I felt his head pop up, so I turned to look at him. The look on his face told me that he wasn't too thrilled at her request.

"Are you still dating that git? Katie, you can do so much…" he began.

She cut him right off. "You don't like him because he got a better score on his GRE than you. I'm bringing him. We'll figure out arrangements over the week. Have a great weekend, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she called over the line in a sing-song voice.

"That doesn't leave anything out. Thanks," Edward replied as he hit the button, ending the call. I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his neck.

"See, that wasn't so bad. I knew she'd like you. Next weekend should be a hell of a good time," he assured. I had a lot better feeling about it than when he'd dialed the number.

We stood by his kitchen counter kissing for quite a while. His hands were under my…Alice's…blouse on my bare skin, and my tongue was in his mouth with my hands wrapped in his hair. I felt his hands move down to my ass and squeeze a little before he lifted me effortlessly and placed me on the countertop.

His hands cupped my face, and he sucked my bottom lip between his, biting it a bit which absolutely set me off. He pulled back and looked into my eyes and smiled. "I almost want to pinch myself. I can't believe I get you for the whole weekend. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're here," he whispered as his thumbs caressed my cheeks.

Oh, the man had no idea how surreal it was for me. I half wondered if I'd fallen and hit my head and was in a coma in a hospital somewhere, experiencing the whole thing as a hallucination. Nowhere in my life did I ever do anything to deserve to be here with him and have him telling me such beautiful things. If I was spending some good karma that I'd need later in life, I didn't give a flop-eared bunny's ass.

My brain was officially mush, so I decided just to try to get one word out, not sure I could handle more than that. "Tour?"

"Oh, sure," he replied as he picked me up and placed me on the floor. _The muscles in his biceps disintegrated my panties, by the way._

"Okay…this is obviously the kitchen. That's the living room. Emmett's sty is that way. If you decide you're going to venture in there, I'd suggest you do it on an empty stomach wearing surgical gloves, and God, unless you're a masochist, don't go near his bathroom," he teased as he walked behind me from room to room with his arms around me and his chin resting on top of my head. It was a bit awkward, but I certainly wasn't going to bitch about feeling his chest against my back and his…yeah…against the top of my ass.

"This is my room, and that's my bathroom, which I cleaned very thoroughly last night. I even did laundry so that all of my towels are clean, and I made space for you to hang up stuff if you need to, and I made room in my bathroom. I really want you to feel at home here because I hope you'll spend more time here," he urged.

The room was typical apartment living…large window on one side that only opened about three inches…beige walls and tan carpet. The surprise was that he had an incredible bed…dark wood with a headboard and no footboard. It was queen-sized, and the dresser and chest matched it. There was a mirror over the dresser, and there were framed pictures on the dresser top along with a tray and a bottle of cologne. I walked over, after kissing the tops of his hands, breaking free from his grasp, and picking up the cologne to sniff it. It didn't smell like him at all.

I turned to look at him, seeing a blush creep up on his face. "It was a gift from my mother. I never use it, but I keep it so it doesn't hurt her feelings if she ever comes to visit. I dump a little out of it every once in a while, and then every year for Christmas since I was in high school, I get another bottle. It's too late to stop it," he confessed. I laughed.

"I like the way _you_ smell, not some bottled smell," I told him, feeling my face and neck flush as well.

I looked at the pictures, seeing a very attractive couple who had to be his parents. I picked it up, looking at Edward as he stood to the side with his hands jammed uncomfortably in the front pockets of his jeans, his head tilted as if he was trying to read my mind.

I could see both of them in his features. He had his mother's hair and eye color, and his father's strong jaw and sculpted facial structure. His eyes, though, they were kind just like his mother's. "You're the best of both of them," I remarked as I placed the picture back on the dresser and picked up one of him and a girl I assumed was his sister.

She was in a light blue cap and gown, so it must have been her high school graduation. He had his arm around her shoulders and she had her head on his shoulder, with his cheek resting against the mortarboard on her head. I could tell that they were close. Her hair was blonde, just like his father's, and her bright eyes were a beautiful blue green. She was absolutely stunning. "Kate?" I asked.

"Yeah. Her high school graduation," he confirmed.

"She's really pretty. Actually, she's stunning. Your family has excellent genes," I offered. Fuck, they were superhuman.

"Oh, like your family doesn't? You are one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. I've heard women say that Emmett's a good looking guy, though I think the fact that I live with him and he's disgusting might taint my view of him. Your mother's a beautiful woman. Even though your dad scares the shit out of me, I'd guess he gets his share of attention from the ladies in town. Do they know anything about us?" he asked.

I hoped that he wouldn't be upset because I hadn't told them anything. I hadn't actually talked to them since I'd been back at school. Mom was busy with Gran in Muncie because Dad had to get back to work, and he wasn't really one to check in.

"Um, I haven't said anything because Mom's still in Muncie and Charlie's not really a touchy-feely kind of guy. I doubt that Emmett's mentioned Rosalie to them either, though. We like to sort of keep our business to ourselves when it comes to my parents. It's got nothing to do with you, I swear," I told him nervously. The finger went into my mouth before I even thought about it. I'd tried to break the fucking habit of biting my nails, but when I was really nervous, I couldn't stop myself.

He chuckled and walked over to me, pulling my finger from my mouth and taking my hand, walking me over to the bed and sitting down. I was standing between his legs, his face level with my chest. He didn't hesitate to place tender kisses across my exposed sternum. I was going to have to kiss Alice on the mouth for the top. He seemed to like it a lot.

He pulled me onto his lap facing him and placed his hands gently on my face, kissing my forehead, my closed eyes, my nose, my cheeks, and finally settling on my lips. It was the most sensual thing I'd ever experienced in my entire life, and I pulled in a ragged breath.

My hands had found their way to his shoulders and over to his neck, where I rubbed my thumbs along the strong muscles there taking in the stunningly gorgeous man who was looking at me with a sexy smile. "It's going to be very difficult to wait, you know," he whispered as his hands found my bare skin, that time along my rib cage, leaving little sparks as they slowly moved up and down my sides.

"I wasn't the one who said we _had_ to wait," I replied as I leaned in and kissed his neck and then flicked his earlobe with my tongue. Where the inner sexpot came from, I had no idea, but the man brought that bitch out to play. I hoped she'd never go away again. He gave me a confidence I'd never felt before, and I felt like I was on top of the world.

"Fuck," he sighed as he pulled me closer and lay back on the bed with me on top of him. I felt how hard he was, and I might have brushed my…okay, I definitely ground into him…causing him to suck in a deep breath.

"You're trying to break me down, and it's not going to work, Miss Swan. You're going to try to tempt me, but I believe I'm up to the challenge," he teased as his hands quickly slid my knees out from under me so that I was lying flush on him without the leverage my legs had afforded. His hard chest under me wasn't a problem at all.

"I suppose we'll see, Mr. Cullen," I whispered, very much channeling Rosalie…or what I thought Rosalie would do in my position, not that I ever wanted Rosalie in my position. That particular position was for me and me alone.

"So, I…hmph…" he sort of snorted as he squeezed my ass and actually pulled me up a little so that our faces were level and I was off of his hard cock, which didn't exactly thrill me.

"I ordered us dinner for here because I thought we could have a beer, and you don't have a fake ID. My sister can hook you up with one if you send her a picture," he suggested.

That comment reminded me of something. "Speaking of which…where's the picture of Alice and me that you stole from my dorm room?" I teased. I gave him a smacking kiss as my elbows settled on each side of his head.

He started laughing. "Well, the original is in my nightstand drawer. This is the one I carry with me," he replied as he reached behind him and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open and showing me a smaller version of the picture in the spot in his wallet where most guys carried their driver's licenses.

I looked at it and smiled. "You actually carry a picture of me in your wallet?" I asked.

He smiled and tossed me off of him onto the other side of the mattress causing me to giggle, and he got up from the bed…much to my displeasure…and went to a dresser drawer, pulling something out and tossing it to me. "I have two pictures of you. I stole that from Emmett. Don't tell him," he explained.

I picked up the picture from my stomach where it had landed and saw it was a picture of Em and me on a family camping trip when I was about seventeen. We were at Lake Lemon, and Em and I had both fallen out of the boat. We were soaked, but we were holding up a string line of fish with big smiles on our faces. It was right before I got rid of the fucking railroad tracks in my mouth, and I looked like a complete dork.

"Oh, God. Why would you take _this_ picture? I look like a total spaz," I bitched.

"Not to me, you don't. You're absolutely adorable. You have no idea how beautiful you've always been to me, Bella. I know I didn't ever let you know how I felt, but most of the time when I was around you I stared at you taking in every move you made. Of course, initially, I felt like a fucking pervert and really had to watch myself, but once you turned eighteen, I didn't hesitate to ogle. Now, do you have any homework?" he asked in a very fatherly voice.

"I do not, Mr. Cullen. Do you?" I asked as I sat up from the bed and handed him the picture. He slipped it between the mirror and the frame over his dresser and turned to smile at me.

"I actually have an on-line quiz I need to take before ten tonight. Dinner will be here at seven, so I'll do it now and get it out of the way. Make yourself at home. Do that snooping thing that girls do because I know you're dying to. I've heard stories from my friends about their girlfriends going through their shit, but I want you to so you know I have nothing to hide from you," he offered.

Well, if he was offering…

\\\

_**E/N: Ah, so he's got her in his apartment. There are a couple of chapters for this weekend, and we find out a lot more about each of the characters. It's a fun time, I promise! Can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Howdy do! Thank you for your reviews. We're nearly at 200! So glad you liked the last chapter! I left you with a little cliffie, but thankfully none of you roasted me for it.**_

_**Thanks to Scorpio11 who is betaing on her vacay so we can stay on track. She's a gem!**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement from me ever.**_

_**So, Bella was going to snoop, having been giving permission…let's see what she finds.**_

_**\\\**_

8. Le Freak

"I'll unpack my stuff and leave you to your homework," I replied. He kissed me gently on the lips and walked out of the room as I tried to pull him back down with me. It shouldn't have surprised me that he'd want to get his homework out of the way. I knew his degree was important to him.

I grabbed my bag and plopped it on the bed, unzipping it and walking to his dresser to pull open a drawer on the top right. It was empty, and there was a sheet of white paper with small purple flowers on it. I leaned down to look at it and smelled the distinct scent of lavender. "Edward, why is there…" I yelled.

"My sister told me to do it. She said that women like that kind of thing," he yelled back, anticipating my question. I chuckled and dumped my lingerie in the drawer.

I went to the closet and saw padded hangers that also smelled of lavender. "And why do you have…" I began.

"Katie…Let's just say that anything girlie you find is because my sister told me it was a good idea and would make you feel at home and not at all because I'm secretly a transvestite," he replied. I laughed again.

I went to the nightstand on the right side of the bed and saw an unopened box of condoms, a bottle of lube, and a flat box of Kleenex. There was also the original picture of me. I was pretty sure it was the proverbial "spank drawer," so I decided not to quiz him about _that_.

I went to the other side of the bed and opened the top drawer, finding a wrapped box inside on top of yet another drawer liner. I guessed it was supposed to be _my_ side. I pulled the box out and looked at it. "Edward, what's in the…" I began.

"Just fucking open it," he yelled back. I looked around to see if there was a camera or a reflection so he could see where I was. There was no way he'd know that I was at that particular place at that particular time.

I peeled off the paper and opened the lid. There was a silver bracelet inside with a flat heart charm on it. When I looked at it, one side read, "Return to Tiffany & Co.," and the other side read, "BS + EC." It was the sweetest gift I'd ever received in my life.

"Edward, why'd you get me…" I began with a laugh in my voice as I labored with the lobster-claw clasp to fasten it around my wrist.

"Katie had nothing to do with _that_. I picked it myself," he yelled back. I laughed and walked over to a bookshelf in his room, perusing the few books, movies and CDs that were perched on it. Something else crossed my mind, and I chuckled.

"Edward, where's the…" I began, waiting to see if he could anticipate that question.

After a few seconds, he yelled, "The _what_?"

I walked to the hallway so I could see where he sat in the living room and yelled, "Porn? Where's your porn?" _Every guy had a stash…of that much I was certain._

"Gave it all to your brother when I started dating you. Don't need it anymore," he called back without looking up from his laptop. Wow, my boyfriend was the exception? He didn't say he'd _never_ had any, just that he'd given it away. I thought that was pretty cool, actually.

After I finished hanging up my clothes, admiring my new bracelet the whole time, I walked back into the living room where he sat on the floor with his laptop on the coffee table. I sat down on the couch behind him and began massaging his shoulders, reading what was on the screen without saying a word.

I didn't understand what he was doing, but I loved feeling him lean back into me and relax under my hands as I gently kneaded his shoulders while he finished his test or whatever. He pulled my left hand down from his shoulder and looked at the bracelet, kissing the top of my hand. "Do you like it?" he asked as he positioned his mouse over a space on the screen and began feverishly typing away.

I waited until he was finished with his answer, and then I responded, "I love it. Thank you very much. I'm not very familiar with _Tiffany's_ except for the movie, but I'm certain you spent far too much for it. I'll never take it off as long as I draw a breath," I told him as I leaned forward and kissed the top of his wild hair.

"Apparently, it's a popular style. I've seen girls around campus with variations of it, and when I went to the store over Christmas to buy it, the saleslady asked if I wanted a personal inscription. I was feeling optimistic, so I went with our initials," he answered as he finished his quiz and typed an e-mail to his professor.

"I think it's absolutely gorgeous. Thank you. Christmas? You thought about us being _together_ at Christmas?" I asked feeling quite surprised.

He laughed. "I've thought about us together for a few Christmases. This past Christmas was the first time I gave in and actually bought you a gift. I resisted every other time, but I was optimistic this year. Now…" he sighed as he hit the 'enter' button on his computer and then clicked on the send.

After he was certain his e-mail had gone through, he closed his lap top and settled back into me. "Okay, keep doing that thing you were doing to my shoulders. That felt incredible," he ordered as he placed both of my hands on the incredible shoulders and squeezed.

I began moving my thumbs over his tight muscles, trying to keep from moaning at the feel of him, and then I found a knot between his shoulders and pressed on it, seeing him flinch. "That hurt?" I asked.

"That spot has been sore since I started trying to figure out how to date you. I believe that you're responsible for that particular knot, so I hope that you'll massage it away. I mean, it's the least you can do," he teased.

"Lean forward and raise your shirt," I ordered.

"You just want me topless," he joked. Oh, he wasn't far off base with that comment, but I was trying to help him out…well, a little. Mostly, I was trying to be sly about wanting to see the rippling muscles that I felt beneath my fingertips.

"I'll go topless as well if it will make you feel better," I replied as I unbuttoned my blouse and tossed it onto his lap.

"Shit. I'm not turning around, Bella," he chastised.

"I don't care, _Edward_," I answered as I pulled his shirt up and off him. I sunk my thumbs into the visible knot on his back and began gently pressing against it, trying to work it out. Slowly but surely I felt it loosen as he relaxed, pulling my feet into his lap and slipping off my socks with a little squeeze to my feet.

I continued to move closer to him and closed my legs around him, pressing the soles of my feet together right over his hard cock. After my ankles brushed against it, he quickly moved away from me and jumped from the floor. "Um, I'm going to take a shower before dinner," he called as he tossed my top at me. He didn't turn around, and I just sighed in frustration.

I truly had no idea how to get him over his predetermined prohibition of anything sexual between us, but I knew for both of our sakes, he had to get over i, and quickly if I was going to maintain my sanity. It was soon, of course, but I was fucking ready…and ready for fucking. If he wasn't, he needed to hop on the train.

##

I'd turned on the television while he was in the shower, and when the phone rang, I answered it before I actually thought about it. "Hello?" I sang over the line and then froze. I wasn't in my dorm room, and it wasn't my phone.

"Oh! Hello. Is this Bella or Rosalie?" I heard a man's voice over the line.

"It's, uh, Bella," I answered nervously watching Guy Fieri show up at another diner, drive-in or dive.

"Well, this is a treat. It's Carlisle, Edward's dad. How are you, young lady?" he asked sweetly. I remembered the photo of him and the silky voice was incredible. _My_ apple didn't fall far from the family tree.

"I'm…I'm fine, sir," I stammered out, not knowing how to really answer. I should have never answered the fucking phone, but I couldn't just hang up on him. I began walking down the hallway to Edward's room because I was certain that his father was calling for him. I opened the door and walked in, hearing Edward humming in the bathroom which caused me to chuckle.

"Oh, now, don't call me 'sir'. Is my son behaving himself?" he asked with a lilting laugh in his voice.

I sat down on Edward's bed and tried to figure out how to stall until Edward came out of the bathroom. "He's always the perfect gentleman. How's Mrs. Cullen?" I asked. I had no fucking idea what to say.

"She's anxious for you to come visit us this summer. Edward mentioned that maybe you'd be looking for a job for the summer, and I did some checking around. There are several temporary positions available if you're interested," he replied.

I didn't know exactly what to say, and when Edward walked out of the bathroom in only a towel, I lost the ability to speak altogether. "Uh, th…thank you? I'll consider it. Here's Edward," I blathered out as I passed him the phone, seeing the look of surprise on his face. It must have matched the one on mine.

"It's your dad," I whispered as he took the phone from me. If he thought I was leaving the room, he was out of his fucking mind. If that towel had any chance of coming off, I, Isabella Marie Swan, was going to be there to witness it, and with him preoccupied while talking to his father, oh, I wasn't going anywhere. I just wished I had popcorn.

"Hey, Dad. Yeah, um, she's here for the weekend. Oh, you told her about that? I'll talk to her. Well, she's a little nervous about meeting you and Mom, but I assured her that she had nothing to worry about. No, I don't think she plays golf," he responded, looking at me. I shook my head no.

"No, she doesn't play golf. I'm not sure if she's interested…Oh, really? Well, um, if I can talk her into letting me teach her, then yeah, we'll see if we can work it out. Yeah, I invited Katie for next weekend," he answered as he sat down on the bed next to me and squeezed my leg letting me know he wasn't exactly thrilled that I'd answered the phone.

I didn't give a shit. I was just hoping to see Edward Cullen in his birthday suit.

"I've narrowed it to Kellogg or Booth. I _am_ working on the applications, Dad. I've talked to my professors regarding recommendations. I'm still opposed to Saἲd because I don't want to go to Oxford. Dad…Dad… I'll be twenty-two when I graduate, and I know _exactly_ what you expect, okay. Look, our dinner will be here in a little while, and I need to go. I'll call you on Sunday night. Love you, too. Bye," he responded and hung up, tossing the phone on the floor and flopping back on the bed.

"I'm sorry I answered. It rang, and I just wasn't thinking," I offered sheepishly.

"It's not your fault. I'd have answered if I'd have been in the room. They just expect so fucking much from me, and I don't seem to be able to get them to understand that I have my own expectations for my future. How the hell do you live your life and not disappoint your parents?" he asked as his arms crossed over his head, shielding his eyes.

I really had no answers for him because it was something I'd considered myself. My parents weren't at all thrilled with my major, but I was getting a degree, and I was doing well. I knew they hoped I'd change my mind, but I had no intentions of so doing. I had myself on a clear path, and I wasn't looking back.

"Look, if you go to London and we're still together, then we'll figure it out, right?" I asked like the naïve girl I was. I was nineteen-years old and just starting my college education in an iffy major. He had a bright future ahead of him, and I'd support him, even if it meant that someday we'd have to part. I didn't want to think about it, but I knew it would be in the back of my mind for years.

"Babe, I have no desire whatsoever to go to London. My father has a friend there who has a brokerage house, and he believes that a year at Oxford and then a job for Volturi House would be the equivalent of becoming a doctor. We have a vast difference of opinion regarding the definition of success," he responded as he turned to me and pulled me down on the bed, yet again.

After several minutes of kissing, he pulled away. "Okay, devil woman. Leave the room so I can change," he whispered as he kissed along my chest, yet again.

I boldly reached down and grabbed a very substantial cock and kissed his neck. "So, you're going to deny me this?"

"Bella, it's yours…it's been yours for a long time, okay? We'll get there, I swear on my own fucking life. Now, take my wallet because the food should be here any time. I'll be out in a minute," he responded as he pulled my hand away from his towel-covered erection and kissed my knuckles.

Most girls my age and in my predicament would have appreciated his restraint. I wasn't most girls. I'd waited a long time, and I'd waited for the right guy. I'd finally found him, and I was determined that before I left this apartment on Sunday afternoon, my world would be rocked even if I had to do while he was asleep. That was the only thought in my head as I walked out of his bedroom that afternoon.

##

"Jesus, this is incredible," I gasped as we sat on the floor in his living room enjoying pulled pork and potato salad while watching _'Ice Road Truckers'_ and drinking beer. I had no idea that he liked the show. It was one of my guilty pleasures, but he told me that he had family who lived in Alaska, and he'd been there a time or two in the summer when he was younger.

"Your dad told me there were jobs around Chicago that I might be able to get," I remarked nonchalantly.

He wiped his mouth and took a sip of his beer. "I told them that you were looking for a job and that Bluefield didn't offer much. He looked into a few things. I hope you're not pissed about it," he responded.

I set my plate on the table and climbed onto his lap because he seemed to be nearly done. Well, I hoped he was nearly done. I didn't really give a shit.

"I don't know what experience I'd bring to a hospital," I told him as I licked up his neck and took in his scent, which was incredible.

"I, uh, I think there's a receptionist position working in his office. You can certainly answer the phone," he joked as he kissed along my neck and nipped at my jaw.

"Give me a good reason why I should have the fight with my parents to go to Chicago and live in a refrigerator box," I whispered as I kissed every inch of exposed flesh I could find on the man.

"First, baby, I'd never let you live in a refrigerator box. If you don't want to stay at my parents' place, I'll get a sublease, and you can live with me. Second, I can't imagine being away from you for three months," he answered. I melted when he called me 'baby'. I'd never had anyone…except my mother who referred to me as her baby girl…call me that, and hell, at that point, I'd do anything he wanted.

I pulled back and looked into his beautiful green eyes. "Why are you so opposed to going to Oxford?" I asked.

"I don't want to…um, I've got my reasons," he answered. That definitely wasn't going to be good enough.

"You know, if I do well next year, I can apply for the Kessler Grant. I can study abroad anywhere I want for a semester. I could even study in London," I responded as I looked into his eyes, seeing them bug out.

"Seriously? You could…you'd consider it?" he asked.

"I have to have a few juried shows, but I've already scored my first one. The end of the year exhibit is a juried exhibit. If I do well, then next year I can submit work toward several others. I just need to take pictures that are worthy of winning," I replied. I had not one fucking idea if I could pull it off, but maybe?

He pulled me closer and kissed me deeply, sweeping his tongue over my lips which caused me not to hesitate one bit. I opened my mouth to him and sucked his tongue inside as I ground into him and felt the moan low in his chest. I was quite happy about it.

After a while, he pulled away. "Bedtime," he announced as he stood from the floor after shutting off the television. We didn't clean up the dinner mess, and he didn't seem to care.

He pulled me down the hallway like his hair was on fire and there was an extinguisher in his bedroom. Without one word, he walked us both into the bathroom and handed me the toothpaste. "I bought you a toothbrush," he remarked as he opened a package and handed me a purple one that vibrated. I laughed as I squeezed toothpaste on it and began vigorously brushing my teeth, my new bracelet jingling the entire time.

After we both finished and rinsed our mouths, he took my hand and led me to the bed. "Um, what do you sleep in?"

When we'd been in Muncie, I'd slept in my stupid flannel pajamas because it was fucking cold, but I wasn't going to be sleeping in anything like that at his place. I went to my designated drawer and pulled out a black chemise gown that Alice had given me. It was lacey and quite scandalous, and just exactly what was in order.

"I'll be back," I announced as I grabbed it and the matching panties and went into his bathroom. I changed, washed my face and looked into the mirror.

"You can do this. You're a strong woman. You're not ugly. You seem to have caught the man's attention. You can do this," I whispered to myself as I slicked my bangs out of my eyes. I owed Alice for the haircut. It seemed to be the tipping point in my life.

I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom, shutting off the light behind me. He was in his bed in a pair of pajama pants and I was, well…uncomfortable was the best way to describe it. I'd never in my nineteen years walked out of a bathroom feeling more uncomfortable than I did at that moment. The gown was really nice, but me pulling it off? That was the great big 'if'.

"Oh, Jesus," he whispered. Then he laughed. I could warm up to the first comment. The laugh, I didn't understand.

"Do I look stupid in this? I mean…uh, it's…" I stammered.

"Stupid? Seriously? You worry about looking stupid? You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. God, I can't…" he stammered a bit to himself which actually made me take a deep breath and exhale. If he was feeling nervous, then maybe I wasn't so far off base with my nerves.

I climbed onto the bed next to him and sat on my knees because for the life of me, I had no idea what the fuck to do next. I knew that I should try to look seductive or something, but hell, I didn't know what that meant at all, and I was pretty sure I'd just end up looking constipated.

He looked at me for a moment, and then quickly averted his eyes to the ceiling, not saying another word. When he closed his eyes, I knew it was abject rejection.

I lie down on the bed next to him and pulled the covers up over me, trying to keep my distance because I had no fucking idea what the look on his face meant. I pulled the pillow under my head and turned on my side, closing my eyes and fighting the tears because I was so certain that I could tempt him with the gown, but apparently, I couldn't.

He sprung from the bed and began pacing which concerned me. "What's wrong?" I asked as I moved my hair off my face.

"It's been what? Two weeks? Is that as long as we've been dating?" he asked as he ripped his hands through his hair.

I did the calculation in my head, and I guessed he was about right. "Um, yeah, I suppose. I can go back to my dorm," I responded as he continued to pace and pull at his hair. I truly didn't know what on earth was wrong with him. It was something that I'd never witnessed in all the years and limited times I'd been around him.

"NO! No, you're not…fuck. I'm twenty-one year's old and you're nineteen. Do you know the likelihood of success if we get married right now? The odds of us making it for the first year are highly unfavorable. Do you know that?" he shouted.

I sat up in bed. I never asked him to marry me. I never asked anything of him. There were a lot of things I wanted from him, but I never expected marriage to be one of them.

"_Oookay_, I never said a word about marriage, and why the fuck are you freaking out? I'm completely at a loss," I answered honestly. He was having a panic attack at the very least, and I had no idea what to do or what to say, but it looked like clarifying the fact that I wasn't looking to get married anytime soon seemed to be a good idea.

"No, no, you didn't. You haven't even thought about it, have you? You have no desire to get married at this point in time, if ever, do you?" he asked frantically, tugging at his hair.

I thought about it, and hell, I wanted to get married _someday_. "I never said _that_. I want to get married someday. I haven't really thought it through, but…" I began my explanation of how I never thought I'd find anyone and all of that other pathetic bullshit. He cut me off.

"_Ah ha_! So you have thought about it at least. What do you expect from marriage?" he snapped.

I felt like the man needed a Prozac or maybe a Xanax. I wasn't exactly up on sedatives or anti-depressants or what-the -fuck-ever, but he definitely needed some sort of medicinal assistance.

"Marriage, seriously? I haven't really thought that much about marriage, Cullen. Please, for the love of God, tell me what's wrong," I pleaded as I sat on the bed and watched him continue to pace, looking at me and shaking his head. I wondered if I should call his parents because it seemed to me that he needed some sort of an intervention that I wasn't prepared or qualified to give.

He walked over to the bed and climbed up on it, taking my hands in his and looking deeply into my eyes. "Bella, Jesus, I'm so fucking head over heels in love with you that I've lost all sense of time and space. I want you to marry me. I want us to have a life together. God, this is so wrong. I've taken you on like three dates and we're…I've lost my mind. I've lost my fucking mind," he answered.

I sat there looking at him, feeling completely dumbfounded. Did he want to marry me or had his dick made the decision when the black nightgown came out? He had…we had…a lot of shit to get through before we ever thought about marriage. I was astounded, and he was a stammering idiot. Actually, it was a perfect match.

"Okay, the first thing that's going to happen is I'm going to change because you can't seem to process lingerie. I'll take the couch, and apparently, we can't drink beer together," I surmised as I started to climb from the bed. Apparently, the La Perla gown could disable the most handsome man I'd ever met into a bumbling, mumbling mess. I decided I'd put that up on their website as a review. Maybe someone would have better luck than me with it. At least someone should get something out of it.

He lay down on the bed, pinning me to it. "No. You're not going anywhere. Christ, I'm a mess, but please just give me a minute. I've never felt like this before," he whispered. I waited. I could see him struggling within himself, and I had no fucking idea what to do, but I was giving him his minute.

After ten of them, according to the clock on his bedside table, I slipped out of the bed and went to my drawer grabbing my Sponge Bob sleep pants and a sweatshirt. I changed right there in front of him, and it didn't even appear to register.

I had no idea what that meant or what to do about it, so I grabbed a pillow and went to the couch. It was comfortable enough, and he could have his little breakdown which I determined had nothing to do with me. I stewed over it for a while and came to the conclusion that his parents were forcing him into something, and he was looking to rebel. I was most certainly not going to be _that_ girl who he married out of spite. I thought about leaving a note to that affect and going back to my dorm, but I was so tired that I fell asleep instead.

##

I woke up alone in Edward's bed. I remembered going to sleep on the couch while he had his little meltdown, so how I ended up in his bed was an unknown. I generally didn't walk in my sleep, so I had to assume that sometime in the night, he'd retrieved me and put me in bed with him. I was sorry to have missed it.

I turned on my side and saw a note on the nightstand on _my_ side of the bed. It was tented with my name printed across the front, which seemed a bit silly to me because, really, who else would the note be for? He was an odd man.

I picked it up and blinked a few times, remembering that I hadn't taken off my mascara the night before because my eyelashes were sort of stuck together. I assumed I had raccoon eyes to accompany the stickiness. I opened the note and read it on my way to the bathroom to do damage control.

_Bella-_

_I went for a run. I'll be back in a while. Please, please, don't leave. I can't explain last night's ridiculous behavior right now, but I'll try to formulate the appropriate explanation while I'm running. There's tea in the kitchen for you._

_Love,_

_The Nut Job_

I chuckled at his signature and dropped the note into my designated drawer where the poor rejected black gown had returned after the massive meltdown of my once-stable boyfriend. If the black one made him freak out like that, I was pretty sure that the pale blue one would have him hurling himself off the third floor balcony.

After I washed my face and went through an abbreviated morning routine, I walked down the hallway to the kitchen, seeing four different kinds of tea on the counter with a mug setting beside them. It appeared that the man was covering his bases with regard to my tea preferences.

I filled the mug with water and placed it in the microwave, setting the timer for two minutes. I looked around the kitchen for a minute, and then decided to do something that Edward had suggested I _never_ do…I wanted to see just how bad was Emmett's bedroom.

I walked to the door and pinched my nose closed just in case. I turned the knob and opened the door, reaching for a light switch because Emmett's room was extremely dark. When the light came on, I gasped, "Holy shit!"

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_**E/N: So? What do we think she found? We got a bit more insight into Edward's relationship with his father. That's going to become more important as we move forward. Can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hello all! Hope you're well! Thank you so very much for the reviews. I know a lot of you are anxious to find out what Bella found when she opened Emmett's door and why Edward freaked out, so Let's get to it. (Oh, and Southern Heifer…this one's for you, doll!)**_

_**Scorpio11 – thank you dear one!**_

_**SMeyer owns…I don't infringe.**_

_**\\\**_

9. Potpourri

My brother, the big football jock who thought baseball was a pussy sport because there was no full-body contact, and the only acceptable "flower" was the "flour" that went into baked goods, had a huge secret. His room, which I was sure he referred to as his castle or something equally preposterous, was decorated in shades of dusty pink, Wedgewood blue, and sage green. The comforter was a _Pottery Barn_ floral design that I'd seen in the catalog, and there were even pillow shams on the bed. There were no dirty clothes anywhere in sight, and there were even candles and a framed picture of Rosalie on the dresser.

I stuck my head in the bathroom and saw a matching shower curtain and towels, and the toilet seat was actually _down_ with the lid closed. There were candles on the vanity and a dusty pink bathmat next to the tub. When I looked at the back of the toilet, there was potpourri…I started laughing my ass off just as I heard the front door open.

I stuck my head out the door and waved my arms to get Edward's attention because I could see that he had in earbuds and his iPod was connected to a strap around his bicep. He looked up and jumped for a second, and then he smiled, pulling out the earbuds and turning off the device. "My girlfriend's a sadist? Was my warning not strong enough?" he joked. I wiggled my finger for him to come take a look, and I stepped inside to wait.

He walked over with a scowl on his face, and when he looked inside, his eyes doubled in size. "Fuck, he's got up curtains even," Edward observed as he walked into the room and looked around. Suddenly, he began hysterically laughing, which caused me to giggle as well.

After laughing until we were in tears, we both calmed down enough to speak. "Did he do this so that you'd stay in here?" Edward asked as he went to the bathroom and began laughing all over again. "Potpourri? He's got fucking potpourri in here. Oh, wait until the bastard gets back," Edward called as he walked back into the room where I was standing.

"I'm gonna ride his ass for this shit," Edward mused.

"He couldn't have done this for me because he didn't know I was staying here for the weekend, or Friday night anyway, until he and Rosalie were well on their way to her sister's. I'd venture a guess this has everything to do with Rosalie being here," I suggested. I expected him to laugh again. He didn't.

"Wait, you're not staying tonight?" he asked as he looked at me. He was sweaty and flushed from his run, but damn, the man was hot. For a second, the question didn't register. When he wiped his sweaty hand on Emmett's comforter and took my hand, I snapped back from the daydream In which I had actually made him all hot and sweaty doing other vigorous activities that didn't require high-priced running shoes.

"Huh? Oh, I wasn't sure if your heart could take it if I stayed tonight. After last night's meltdown, I didn't want to risk an aortic aneurysm," I offered as I went to the kitchen to get my tea and weigh my options.

"Look, um, I'm going to take a shower and change, and then I'll make us breakfast, and we'll talk, okay? Please don't leave while I'm in the shower," he requested. It wasn't like I had a lot on my plate that day since I'd originally planned to spend the weekend with him and all of my friends were otherwise occupied.

"Okay, I guess. I mean, if you can handle it," I replied as I shrugged my shoulders in agreement while I opened the '_Awake_' tea and pulled out a bag, dropping it into the mug to allow it to steep.

"I won't be able to handle it _if_ you leave," he mumbled as he headed toward his room. I scoped out the fridge to see what there was to cook for breakfast, finding enough ingredients to make decent omelets, so I decided to go ahead and cook while he was showering. Unfortunately, daydreaming about him in the shower caused me to cut my finger while chopping up a green pepper.

After I wrapped a paper towel around it, I went in search of a first aid kit, wishing I'd have remembered to bring the small one I had in my dorm room. After searching the apartment like a DEA agent at Snoop Dogg's house, I knocked on Edward's bathroom door, hearing him still in the shower.

When he didn't answer, I cracked the door to yell in and ask him if he had one, but before I could open my mouth, I heard him whisper loudly, "Yeah, baby, _aaaahhh_."

I might be a virgin, but I knew what the hell _that_ was all about. Maybe I didn't partake of self-service pleasure very often…because I'd never actually been successful at it the way I'd read about on the internet…but, I'd read enough on-line porn to know that the man was spanking the capuchin.

It pissed me off that he'd rather do _that_ than do _me_, so I slammed the door to let him know that I'd been in there, and I changed my clothes to leave. Why the hell did he say that he was my boyfriend and all that bullshit about being in love with me and getting married when he'd rather crank his wank by himself? It made no fucking sense, but I wasn't going to stick around for an explanation.

As I was about to leave, I looked on my wrist and saw the bracelet which caused me to stop in my tracks. I'd promised I'd never take it off as long as I drew a breath, and it was so sweet that he'd had it engraved with our initials, and then there were the lined drawers and scented hangars in his closet. _Shit_! I couldn't just leave. That wouldn't have been the mature thing to do anyway, so I sat down on the bed and waited for him to emerge from the steam.

A few minutes later, he came out of the bathroom in a pair of boxers, killing my hope that he'd come out in a towel again and maybe we could see if I could stroke him better than he could stroke himself…though, I was sure I'd have been a bumbling mess if he'd have gone along with it.

"When, um, did you come in?" he asked looking a bit embarrassed. It would have been so easy to lie and let him off the hook, but if we were ever going to get anywhere in our relationship, lying was a bad idea, so I decided to go with the truth.

"I needed a band-aid. I hope I didn't ruin the _moment_," I answered as I removed the bloody paper towel to see that my finger had stopped bleeding.

He quickly walked into his bathroom and came out with a first-aid kit. He sat down on the bed next to me and began doctoring my finger. Oh, he would have had a great bedside manner…as I was literally witnessing. "How'd you cut yourself?" he asked.

"I was chopping stuff for omelets, and I wasn't paying close attention. It's a hazard exclusive to me," I informed him. If we could figure out the way to have a real relationship, he needed to know that he'd better buy six of those kits and also a small one to carry around with him all the time.

After applying antibiotic cream to my finger, and then covering it with a band-aid, he kissed it, the romantic bastard. "There you go. Um, I'm sorry you…I'm sorry I was…shit," he stammered.

"Look, I know that you've got needs, or so I've read on the internet, and if I'm not the one who can meet them then you've got to take care of yourself. I understand it. I wish I had the same ability. Why on earth would you want to date me when you don't want to have sex with me? Would you rather jack off than be with me? Wait, are you _gay_? Are you using me as a beard so that people don't guess you're gay?" I asked.

I'd read that in a story one time. The guy was gay, and he was in love with his male roommate who was completely straight. Gay guy started dating the girl so that his roommate didn't know about his secret crush and ended up suddenly turning straight because he fell in love with the girl. I was pretty sure that premise was unlikely, but it wasn't a bad story.

Edward had risen from the bed to get dressed, and at my question, he whacked his foot on the dresser, causing him to jump around holding onto it while shouting, "Mother Fuck…Mother Fuck…God Damn." I'd have laughed but he appeared to be in a lot of pain, and I could relate to doing something like that.

He hobbled back over to the bed and sat down, examining his injured foot, and after determining that he hadn't accidentally amputated an appendage, he looked at me with an expression that was a cross of anger and disbelief. "What?" I asked.

"_What? WHAT?_ You think I'm gay because I didn't…son-of-a-bitch. Bella, I can assure you, I'm not gay, okay? You've felt how hard I get when I'm around you, and if I was interested in men, I seriously doubt that I'd walk around with a hard-on every time you're in the vicinity. Look, there's something I haven't told you.

"I should have told you the other day at the library, but you stormed off, and we had other things to talk about that night. I didn't get the opportunity to tell you something that I hope and pray to God you won't tell Emmett because I'd never, fucking ever, hear the end of it. See, I was raised that women are to be treated with respect and honor. They're not playthings or simply objects of desire. Sex is something to be shared with the right person at the right time, and well, until you showed up in my life, I hadn't met the right person," he explained nervously.

I must have been blinking furiously because looking at him as he was explaining himself to me was like looking at one of those flip books that, when you flipped the pages quickly, it looked like a live-action cartoon.

If I understood him, he was attempting to tell me that he was a virgin. That couldn't possibly be right because, well, he was _him_. I couldn't believe that the man didn't spend fifty-percent of his time with some twit riding him like a pogo stock.

"Hang on, Spanky McJackerson…are you telling me that the only sex you've ever had is with your right hand?" I asked in complete and utter shock. I saw his face flush, as I was certain mine had, and I waited for him to answer.

"Um, yeah. I've never been with anyone either. When you told me that you hadn't, it solidified in my mind that we are truly meant for each other. My parents waited for each other to have sex, though they're vague on whether it was before or after marriage, but that's the way I was raised which was why all that marriage shit came out. Telling you I loved you was the truth, by the way," he answered.

Oh, it was my turn to pace. _He was a virgin? No. That wasn't possible at all_. "What about the girls you dated in high school?" I asked. He'd mentioned that he hadn't dated in college, but surely in high school he'd banged a few cheerleaders or the student body president...maybe a female guidance counselor?

"I dated four girls in high school. None of them were special, so before it went too far on the physical side, I broke it off…or they broke it off with me. I've done a little bit of experimenting, but I've never actually had…sex," he admitted.

I sat back down on the bed and then I flopped onto my back, looking at the ceiling. "Why did you freak out so much last night?" I asked.

He flopped down next to me and let out a heavy sigh. "I freaked out because for the first time in my life, I felt like my control was going to fail me, and I'd jump you without a second thought. I wanted you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life, and I panicked because it went against everything I'd ever been taught. I love you, Bella. I realize that we've only been seeing each other for two weeks, but I believe I've been in love with you for a long time. I have absolutely no intentions of pressuring you into anything with me. Last night, seeing you dressed like that, I just lost it," he finished.

"I love you, too," I whispered, mostly because I was afraid that if I said it too loud, I would spook the poor guy. He seemed to have a tenuous hold on his sanity or his libido, and I certainly didn't want to send him over the edge in either case, but I felt like I should be honest with him. I was quite certain that what I was feeling for Edward Cullen was love, and in that moment, I wanted him to know it.

I felt him roll over and then he was kissing my lips before I knew what was happening. I kissed him back, and he scooped me up, put me in the middle of his bed, and draped his body across mine…well, from the waist up. My hands were drawn to his muscular back, and I pulled him closer, swirling my tongue with his while I mentally counted the number of moans coming from him.

I moved my hands to his damp hair and wound my fingers in it, holding him closer to me. I felt his left leg wedge itself between my denim clad thighs, and a very subtle thrust of his hips let me know that the lad had no problem with recovery time. There was also no doubt in my mind that the man was straight as an arrow.

He pulled away after a very heated make-out session which left us both breathless, and he looked into my eyes. "Say it again, please," he asked as he smiled.

"I love you, too," I whispered again as my stubby nails scratched his scalp causing him to close his eyes and then he opened them and laughed. I wasn't sure what was funny, but I had something pop into my head for which I needed clarification.

"Um, are you like ultra-religious or conservative, and you'll never want to have sex of any kind? Is that what this whole thing is about, and if so, why in the fuck did you invite me to spend the weekend here?" I asked trying not to sound pissed off. If he had no plans to advance our physical relationship, why was it so goddamn imperative for me to pack my shit and sleep at his place?

He looked at me for a moment, and then he kissed my cheek. "Until last night, I had every intention of the two of us waiting until marriage. When you walked in here in that black thing, all of those thoughts went out the window. I think it's too soon to actually have sex, but God, there're so many other things we can do that I'd sure like to try," he confessed.

"Marriage? We're going to get married?" I asked. He kept bringing that shit up, and I was pretty sure that if I called Charlie Swan, or even Emmett Swan, and told them that I was getting married at nineteen because my boyfriend wanted to have sex, I'd find myself chained to my twin bed in Bluefield when I surfaced from the chloroform-induced sleep that I'd been put in before I was hauled to my parents' house for deprogramming.

"Someday, I hope. Not anytime soon because you've got school and I've got school and stuff, but I plan on asking you someday. Look, there's this very odd thing in my family that when we find the right person for us, we don't stray. Well, actually, it's just the guys, but nevertheless, we fall hard, and we don't wander, ever. I know that you're my future, so consider yourself warned. You're permanently off the market," he announced.

I decided to fuck with him a little. "Do these 'right people' have a say in this?" I joked.

"No. They're actually powerless against our charms. So, did I hear something about an omelet? I pray you're not going back to your dorm because I really don't want to have to sleep in your tiny little bed with you," he complained.

"And, what makes you think that I'd ask you to stay in my dorm with me?" I teased.

"Powerless…remember. Now, I'm going to get dressed, and I'll do the chopping if you'll do the actual omelet making. I've never been able to get the hang of it. Then, we can do whatever you'd like," he offered. I kissed his neck before I let go of him, and I was rewarded with a sigh. Maybe we'd get where I hoped we'd be sooner than later.

##

"Next time, I pick the movie, love," he announced as we walked back into his apartment. We'd gone to dinner and then to the movies, and he told me while we waited in line…as his arms were wrapped around my waist and his lips were on my neck… that I could choose the movie. I'd chosen "_Friends with Benefits_." I believe that the tipping point in him hating it was the clapping and whistling I did at the sight of Justin Timberlake's bare ass, and oh, God, was it a _fine_ ass.

"Hey, if you'd show me your bare ass, I could make an informed decision whether yours is better than JT's, but at the moment, the only frame of reference I have is his," I responded as I took off my coat and hung it in the coat closet in the hallway.

"_You_ chose that movie on purpose," he bitched. He'd been bitching about it the whole way back to his apartment, and I'd just laughed at him, which only seemed to piss him off more.

We'd spent the afternoon just talking and watching television. Unfortunately for me, he hadn't jumped me on the couch as I'd hoped, but we'd exchanged stories about growing up with our respective siblings, and I'd learned that his sister, Kate, hadn't exactly embraced his chaste demeanor. I wished that she'd rubbed off on her brother a lot more.

"What did you hate about it so much? You got to see Mila Kunis naked…well, mostly," I offered as I went to the fridge and got the two of us beers, hoping to loosen the man up a little and maybe get a gander at his bare ass, or the impressive cock that I'd only felt through a cotton towel or on my hip…or against my ass_._

"I didn't care about seeing Mila Kunis naked. You didn't see me whistling and clapping and nearly getting us thrown out of the theater," he replied while I handed him a beer as he kicked off his sneakers and kicked up his feet on the coffee table while he flipped through the television channels looking for something to watch.

"I thought you liked brunettes," I joked as I slipped off my Chucks and settled next to him, feeling him wrap his arm around my shoulders and pull me closer to him.

"I love _a_ brunette. All of the others don't do anything for me," he replied as he settled on a college basketball game. Notre Dame was in the hunt for a berth in the NCAA Tournament, and even I knew it.

"So, next weekend, your sister and her boyfriend?" I opened. I heard him groan a bit at the idea of it, and I chuckled. I couldn't wait to actually meet her.

"I guess I've got to figure out where they're going to sleep. I don't want those two in _my_ bed, so I'm going to either suggest that they stay in a hotel or sleep in here on the floor," he complained as he pulled me from sitting to laying on the couch with him. I was mostly on top of him, and I wasn't going to complain one bit.

"They could stay in the Magnolia Room. I'm sure Rosalie would let Em stay with her in her room," I offered. The flowers on Emmett's comforter were magnolia blossoms, and we'd begun calling it the Magnolia Room, both of us laughing every time.

"I almost owe that to Emmett for all of the nights I've had to listen to him carrying on with one woman or another in his room. You're brother's quite the horny one, you know," he teased. Oh, if only given the opportunity, I'd show him horny.

"Yes, well, I suppose one of the Swan children should be because our parents are quite the randy couple. I don't even want to tell you how many times I've had to stuff cotton in my ears to keep from hearing the noises. Apparently, the Swan blood runs quite hot. You've been duly warned…well, I suppose you were put on notice last night. If you can't handle it, then we've got a problem," I notified him.

He smiled at me with a sexy smile that nearly had me stripping until I remembered how he'd reacted the night before when I'd taken off my top in the living room. I had no idea how we were ever going to get beyond _'spin the bottle'_ to at least '_seven minutes in heaven_' because I was ready for so much more, and he didn't seem to be.

Not being able to get myself off was going to kill me, and I was quite close to talking to Alice about it because I was certain that she was sexually satisfied. She always had a fucking smile on her face and Jasper seemed to float through life which led me to believe that he had absolutely no sexual frustration in him whatsoever.

"Come on, let's go to bed. I'm not going to carry you back to bed tonight because you're quite heavy," he teased. I pinched his stomach, causing him to squirm and laugh. _That_ part of our relationship, I actually loved.

"Fuck you," I tossed out as I climbed off the couch and carried our empty bottles to the recycle.

"Soon enough," he called as he turned off the television in the living room and began turning off the lights. I shuffled down the hallway to his room and opened my designated drawer, pulling out my good friend, Sponge Bob, and one of Emmett's old t-shirts. I was on my way to the bathroom when he stopped me.

"What the hell?" he asked as he held up the "Stumpy's Quik Mart," t-shirt and my pajama pants. Emmett had worked there for about two weeks in high school, and all he got was fired and an ugly red t-shirt that I'd retrieved from the give-away because it was big and comfortable.

"Emmett worked there for two weeks before he got fired. I took the shirt because it's one-hundred percent cotton, and if you'd have met Stumpy, you'd have laughed. He was about 5'6", and had been bestowed the name in high school. It stuck, and he opened a convenience store, and that's the history of the shirt. Now, I'm going to get ready for bed, in appropriate Edward-Cullen-approved garb, and I'll meet you between the sheets," I responded as I grabbed at the t-shirt he was holding.

"Oh, God, no. Let's try the black number again. I promise I won't go insane," he requested. I gave him a cocked eyebrow, and he smiled, walking to my designated drawer and pulling it out, tossing it to me and tossing my t-shirt and pajama pants back inside. Well, if he wanted to try…

I went into the bathroom to change, skipping the internal pep talk because I knew that I had more sexual confidence than he since we were on equal footing in the relationship – experience-wise. I quickly changed, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair. I walked out of the bathroom to find him in a pair of plaid pajama pants and no shirt, and I gasped. The naked chest was just too fucking much not to earn a gasp. Apparently, the man worked hard for the six-pack, and I had no problem paying homage.

He picked up a remote control and hit a button, and music filled the air. It was Eric Clapton and the song was "Wonderful Tonight." It would have been completely cheesy except for the fact that he walked over to me, pulled me close to him, and we actually danced. I didn't dance, but with him, I did. It wasn't anything that Fred and Ginger would have been proud of, but I had my head resting on his naked chest, and he had one arm around me and the other was gripping my right hand and holding it over his heart. It was one of the most romantic things in the world.

"You are so beautiful, Bella. I'm so happy that you're here with me. I'd sit through a hundred movies with Justin Timberlake's bare ass if it ended up like this every time," he whispered into my hair. I was pretty sure we were a comical pair to behold. He had a good ten inches of height on me and what I suspected was a good eight inches pressed against my stomach standing upright and saluting the flag.

_I did that to him. I made him hard. _I was twirling around in my head like a ballerina at the prospect. When the playlist switched to Elton John and "Tiny Dancer," I laughed. "What's so funny," he asked as his hand on my back began making its way just a bit south.

"God, nothing. I'm just happy to be in your arms dancing instead of trying to talk you off the railing on the balcony," I told him. I couldn't tell him about my internal ramblings because he'd think I was crazy, but I could laugh at my own private jokes. Yeah, I laughed until he leaned down and caught my mouth with his, ceasing our movement.

He released my hand that he'd been holding, but I kept mine on his chest. I felt his hand slide into my hair and pull me closer, and I quickly moved my arms around his neck to hold him as tightly as I could. He was mine, and I wanted to hold on as long as I could.

He shifted his body a bit and then picked me up so that I was held aloft and my face was even with his which made it easier for me to kiss him. "I love you," I whispered against his lips. It came so naturally that I couldn't believe I hadn't been saying it every hour on the hour.

"I love you, too. Thank you for not leaving today," he whispered as he looked into my eyes after we'd pulled apart. God, the eyes were gorgeous.

"I couldn't really leave unless I wanted to walk all the way back to campus," I teased.

"Please tell me that's not the only reason you stayed," he prompted quietly as he walked the two of us to the bed and settled on top of it after he pulled the covers down, holding me in one arm all the while. It was a reminder of how big he actually was…everywhere…and it made me feel very feminine, which was really fucking strange because I was a complete tomboy.

Edward Cullen made me feel like a natural woman, as Aretha Franklin had sung about so many years ago. It was one of my dad's favorite songs for some reason, and it popped into my head at that moment.

As he settled next to me on the bed and held me tightly in his arms, I replied, "That's not the reason I didn't leave. I was just a little freaked out by how you reacted to the…this gown last night. Why aren't you freaking out now?" I asked.

"That's easy. Because I know how the hell I want this to proceed, and with your permission and cooperation, it's going to be incredible," he answered as his lips nipped at my neck. I felt a hand move from my thigh under the gown and up to my ribcage, caressing it gently. A bit more pressure from his hand would have had me a giggling mess, but in that moment, there was nothing funny and nothing to joke about. He wasn't laughing or teasing, and I wasn't either.

"Your skin is so soft," he whispered against my neck as he nipped his way to my ear and swirled his tongue over a place behind my ear that I'd recently found drove me crazy. I huffed because it was just that fucking good.

When he started moving south, I began panting like a basset hound on a sunny summer afternoon. He kissed and licked across my chest and then he moved to my left breast, and I couldn't help the ragged breathing. After his tongue circled around my hard nipple through my gown, I was a simpering, whimpering mess. "This thing is really nice, but can we take it off?" he asked as he nipped at the wet fabric.

I sat up so quickly that I cracked him in the head with my chin. "Ouch," he complained. After the gown was over my head and I was topless, he stopped complaining.

"God, I'm glad I left the light on," he whispered when he resumed his spot. I could have shot off the bed but that would have meant that he wouldn't have had his soft lips on me, so I didn't move…well, much. My thighs were moving so much that I was expecting a fire to spark, but there was already a fire deep inside of me that was burning, and I didn't want it to stop.

"Edward," I groaned as he placed a trail of soft kisses across my chest to my other breast where he showed it the same attention he'd shown the first one. I was about to ignite, and he was holding the match. I had no idea what to do, so I reached down and pulled his hair, guiding his mouth back to mine.

"That feels incredible, but I really need to kiss you," I whispered. His mouth found mine just as his hand grazed across my taut nipple, then down my ribcage and settled just below my navel. His thumb caressed the sensitive skin there in conjunction with his tongue caressing mine. It was mind numbing.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered against my lips as he pulled on the side of my panties. I lifted my hips to allow him to remove them, quickly shuffling my feet to get them off once they were around my ankles, and when he parted my legs and his fingers found my center, I pulled back from the kiss to look into his eyes.

"You don't have to…" I began. He smirked as two fingers hit a spot inside me that made me squeak a little bit.

"Oh, yes I do. Seems a lot of exploration needs to be done, and call me Magellan. You want me to stop?" he teased as his fingers hit the spot again, and his thumb…oh that under-rated appendage…found a place on my body that I hadn't _ever_ found.

I knew what it was, but I'd been so lame at exploring my own body that I'd never discovered it. He had fucking radar when it came to the spot, and within seconds, I was a panting, cursing mess.

"Oh, fuck…If you stop, I'll kill you…God, Edward, yesss," I heard hissed, and I didn't even realize it was me, until my eyes squeezed shut and I felt a fire in my body that I'd never felt before. I was wheezing and sweating and embarrassed that I'd lost control, but when I opened my eyes and looked into his beautiful greens, he was smiling.

"So, my girl just had her first orgasm. Well, ain't I the man?" he joked smugly. I quickly shoved my hand down his pajama pants and grabbed onto his hard cock, hearing him suck in a huge breath.

"Let's see if I can return the favor," I joked. Minutes later, he wasn't laughing any more. I _was_, apparently, better at getting him off than he was, and when he moaned, "Fuck, Bella," as he let go and showered my hand with his release, I smiled. At that moment, he wasn't smug…I was.

\\\

_**E/N: Hmmm…so? Em's not the pig Edward thought he was and our boy is a virgin? I kinda snuck that in on ya, though several of you guessed it. I can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading, and Southern Heifer…get well, honey.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm so happy that you are enjoying the story, and to all of my new readers…welcome aboard!**_

_**Scorpio11 had her hands full with this chapter as well. I guess I fell off the bus on it, but she picked me up, dusted me off, and set me on my merry way again. Enjoy!**_

_**SMeyer disclaimer firmly in place.**_

_**\\\**_

10. Rainbows, Unicorns, and the Ass Monkey

##

Many things in life are wonderful.

The first warm sunny day in spring is incredible, especially when you live in Indiana.

The daffodils that signal the arrival of Easter are glorious because they are the first clue that winter is on the retreat and summer is on its way. They are just as great as the changing of the leaves in the fall when a long summer is waning and there is a bite in the air.

Full moons are great on a clear night because all of the stars seem to be brighter in the night sky.

I loved all of those things, but waking up naked next to a naked Edward Cullen far surpassed all of those things rolled up into a ball and tied up with a rainbow. His arms wrapped around me like steel ropes and his nose buried in my neck as he slept peacefully was a memory I'd take with me to my grave.

Seeing his face as I gave him a reciprocal hand job was a wonderful achievement in my little…well I guess it's _our_…virginal world. I had no clue that the man had never had sex, because he seemed to ooze it at every turn, but I had the comfort of knowing that he'd never been with anyone, and he wanted to be with me. That was really all I needed to know.

We were in our own bubble of sexual bliss until I heard the front door open and the stomping that I'd heard for more of my life than I'd ever wanted to hear. "His car is on the parking lot," I heard Emmett remark.

"I swear to God, if you start any shit, I'll cut you off, I promise," I heard Rosalie respond.

I nudged Edward. "Babe, our peaceful weekend is over. Emmett's home," I whispered.

"Tell him to go away, Bella. It's too early," he replied. I looked at the clock and saw it was actually noon.

"It's noon," I responded quietly.

"That prick. I hate him. I know he's your _sister…_based on what we found in his room, but he ruins everything," Edward whispered as he kissed my shoulder and his hands tightened around my waist, reminding me that I really needed to pee.

"You don't _hate_ him, but he does have a way of putting a damper on things," I whispered.

"She's not in my room, Rosie. I'm going to kill him. If she's in bed with him, he's a dead man," I heard Emmett yell.

"If you take one step down that hall, I will cut off your dick, and you'll never have sex again. I'll spread word all over this campus that you have syphilis, and no girl in the state will come near you, do you hear me?" Rosalie threatened.

I couldn't help but giggle at that one, which did nothing to dissuade the call of the bathroom. I pulled away from Edward and got up from the bed. "Where are you going?" he moaned.

"Bathroom. I'll be back. Think about breakfast," I called as I went into his bathroom and took care of everything that I needed to. I walked back out and climbed back into bed, feeling his hard dick on my thigh.

"So, all guys have morning wood?" I asked. I'd read about it on-line, but this was my first experience with it, having never been naked in bed with a guy before in my life. I certainly didn't hate it.

His head popped up, and he kissed me sweetly. "I have no idea. I don't go out and take polls on campus about it, but there's no way that I wouldn't wake up with it sleeping next to your gorgeous body. God, why'd they have to come home so early? I could have laid here with you like this until you had to go back to your dorm tonight," he complained.

"Well, all good things must…" I began before he covered my mouth with his. I didn't give a shit that he hadn't brushed his teeth that morning because feeling his naked body next to mine was more incredible than anything I'd ever felt.

He pulled away and looked into my eyes. "Nope. Nothing comes to an end. I might have to take you back to Stovers, but I don't have to like it. Can you e-mail me your schedule so I can see when we'll have time to get together?" he asked as he pecked kisses on my neck and shoulder.

"Fuck…whatever you want. It's yours. Whatever you want," I whimpered. It wasn't very feminist of me at all to give up the power so quickly, but I'd done just that, and I knew I'd do it again. He was abso-fucking-lutely marvelous, and I knew I didn't stand a chance.

"Tell me again," he whispered.

"Rosalie, if he hurts her, I'll kill him," I heard Emmett threaten.

"I love you," I whispered. He kissed me as we heard Rosalie's threat in return.

"He's not going to hurt her, and if you butt in, I'm going to clamp my legs shut so tightly that I'll be squeezing diamonds out of my vagina," she responded.

Edward cracked up as he pulled me from the bed and into the bathroom, turning on the shower. He shoved me inside, and I suppose he went to the bathroom because when he joined me, Little Edward was only at half-mast.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to find his steam, and my hand…body wash…stroking and kissing…he wasn't in a bad mood at all when he got out of the shower. Now, that isn't to say that he didn't return the favor because oh, God, he did. His fingers had magical powers and sonar when it came to my girlie parts. I huffed and sputtered as I came that Sunday afternoon, and the smile plastered on my face probably told everyone around that I was very happy.

##

"Where are you?" Edward asked over the phone. It was Tuesday, and when he'd dropped me off on Sunday night after an intense discussion with Emmett, I was actually worried about his safety. He assured me he'd be fine, but I still worried about him. I laughed when I thought about part of the conversation that didn't include maiming Edward in some fashion.

"_I told you to sleep in my room," Emmett boomed at us when we walked out of Edward's bedroom, fully clothed, holding hands and smiling at each other like lovesick puppies. Upon hearing Emmett, both of our smiles faded into angry glares._

"_Emily, I didn't know you had such a flare for design. The potpourri is a nice touch. Maybe Bella can borrow your pearls some time," Edward snapped at Emmett._

_We both saw Rosalie snicker behind Emmett, and the fact that my brother had the 'Swan blush' going on was proof to me that he really cared about Rosalie and he'd do anything she asked, including revamping the man-cave he lived in to resemble something one would encounter in a little country bed and breakfast._

"_We ain't talking about my room right now, and I happen to like the change. We're gonna discuss the fact that the two of you snuck around behind my fucking back and hooked up. Silver Bells…" Emmett began his tirade._

"_Tread lightly, Martha Stewart. I'll come over here and photograph that bedroom and have Edward plaster the pictures all over the fucking locker room at Notre Dame," I threatened in return._

_Unfortunately, that didn't shut him up. Emmett's threats of using rubber cement to attach Edward's dick to his thigh and then call my dad to tell him that Cullen had sullied me reminded me that I was going to need big dirt on my brother to keep that particular phone call from taking place. Potpourri, magnolia blossoms, and pink bath mats weren't going to be enough of a threat to shut my brother up. _

"I'm in the darkroom. I took some pictures of a group of people doing Tai Chi this morning. They do it at sunrise, and the movement and light was perfect. I'm going to enter them into one of the juried exhibitions in the fall if they turn out. Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm on my way to the library. I've got a paper due tomorrow, and I just need to double check some references," he responded.

"Isn't that shit online? You actually have to _go_ to the library?" I asked as I laughed.

"I need the older reference books. It's about the Great Depression. It's one of those bullshit things about what I think went wrong, causing the entire economy of the United States to collapse. The reference books I used for my bibliography can't be removed from the library, and I need to check that I've cited them correctly. What are you wearing, Miss Swan?" he teased.

I glanced down and saw my baggy jeans and one of his t-shirts that I'd stolen, and I laughed. "It's a blue negligee. You can actually see my nipples through the fabric. It's just that sheer. Oh, and the rubber gloves I'm wearing set the whole thing off," I joked.

"Where's the ticket office for that show? I'd gladly buy up every ticket…wait, my girlfriend shouldn't be wandering around campus in a see-through nightie. Do I need to come over there?" he laughed.

"There's only one ticket at will-call. How was your test?" I asked.

"Boring as hell. I'll pick you up at six. Don't bother to bring panties. I noticed that when you left on Sunday you took them all with you. Can't you at least leave me one pair?" he teased.

"Clean or used?" I asked as I pinned up my pictures. I thought they were great, but it would be up to a panel, not of my peers, to decide. I'd show them to Professor Banner, my advisor, and if he didn't give them the thumbs up, then I'd be back to square one. I hated that shit.

"Jesus. I'll be there to pick you up at six, and you can have my car tomorrow to get back to school. I find that I can't sleep without you. I'm at the library now, and I've got to turn off my phone. I love you so much. Six…I can't wait," he repeated. We said good-byes and hung up.

I studied the pictures I'd taken and tried to look at them with a critical eye. One wasn't exactly in perfect focus, but that was why I loved it. Another photo focused on an old man's hands in a delicate pose. His hands were old and wrinkled, but they were the picture of grace in the pose he was in when I took the shot. Another was of a woman in shadow with the rising sun behind her in a pose that seemed to convey peace to me. That was why I loved them. I just hoped I wasn't the _only_ person who loved them.

##

At six o'clock on the dot, I received a text as I finished up an e-mail to my parents telling them that my new 'friend' Kate was coming to visit me the next weekend. I hoped upon hope that they bought it because she was my excuse for going to Chicago that summer.

_Ready? I want pizza. ILY-E_

I laughed and grabbed my small bag to meet him downstairs. Surprisingly, when I got off the elevator, Natalie wasn't there. It was the creepy guy that we'd all complained about. "Bella, where are you off to?" he asked.

"My boyfriend's house. Night," I called without looking at him. His stringy hair was out of control, and the guy was just a fucking creeper.

I walked out the door and found Edward standing next to his car. I hopped down the stairs and sidled up to where he stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a very sexy smile on his face. "Mr. Cullen, it's good to see you," I joked. He pulled me into a hug and a kiss, making me forget my own fucking name. He had a way about him, that gorgeous man of mine.

Ah, the tongue. His was quite the wicked thing, and I loved it for itself, not just because it was a part of him. I also loved another part of him for itself, but I didn't think he'd be very happy to know that I regarded his cock as a separate entity.

He pulled away and looked into my eyes. "How'd your pictures turn out, and where's the blue nightie. I almost gave myself a brain injury trying to visualize it so I hope to fuck you brought it with you," he teased as he opened the door and helped me into the car.

I loved teasing him, so I decided that I might as well start it. "I'm sorry, but when you didn't purchase your ticket to the darkroom show, someone else did, and as a parting gift, I had to give him the gown," I joked as he started the car.

"Well, just tell me who it was, and I'll go retrieve it after I beat the shit out of him for going after my girlfriend. Seriously, how'd the pictures turn out?" he asked.

He was just as anxious for me to get into juried shows as I was because if I could qualify for the Kessler, I could study in London when he was over there for grad school, or at least I could go for one semester. I wanted it so much, and as much as I appreciated his support, I felt a lot of pressure to make it work.

"They were good. There are two that I want to show my advisor. There's a show coming up in September that I'd like to try to get into, but I'm not sure if they're good enough. Look, I'm going to try really hard to win a grant, but I might not be able to, and I need you to be okay with that. If you have to go to London alone, then we'll make it work, okay? I mean, we're just three weeks into this, and we're talking about something that's eighteen months away. You might get tired of me before then," I suggested as he drove across town. He lifted my hand from my lap and kissed the top of it, settling it on his thigh with his right hand holding it.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. I'll simply stalk you if you try to get away. Oh, I have good news and bad news. The good news…my parents want you to come for Easter. I don't know if it's a big deal in your family, but we have a big brunch, and they really want to meet you," he offered.

We Swans aren't religious by any means, but I had no idea if my parents would expect me home for Easter or not. I supposed I could tell them that I needed to stay at school. I'd have to see what Emmett was planning.

"I'll see if I can work it out. What's the bad news?" I asked nervously. I hated bad news.

"Emmett's at home. I have a feeling he's not going to give us a lot of privacy tonight," Edward explained. I racked my brain for what to do and decided that I'd just threaten my brother with bodily harm if he didn't leave us alone. _Like that would be a threat!_

"I'll handle Emmett," I announced gallantly, hoping I could maintain the façade and intimidate Emmett enough that he'd maybe leave and go to Rosalie's dorm room.

We arrived at his apartment, and he grabbed the small bag that I'd packed and my backpack. We made our way inside, and once we were in the elevator, he attacked me. His mouth was on my lips, my neck, and my chest…well what he could get to when he pulled my sweatshirt down. I, of course, was doing my own fair share of attacking, licking and biting his neck as well.

When the elevator dinged that we'd reached his floor, we separated begrudgingly and walked to his apartment. We both heard the music inside before Edward ever opened the door. "Is he fucking deaf? He listens to that shit so loud, and usually, we end up with one of the neighbors banging on a wall or the door. Are you sure one of you isn't adopted?" he joked.

I laughed. "I truly wish that was the case. That's his _pissed-off _playlist. Did anything else happen today?" I asked. _Slayer_ was some of Emmett's favorite anger music. He usually lifted weights to it or ran while listening to it, so I had no idea what the hell he could be doing in the apartment with it blaring.

Edward had his key in the lock and stopped before he turned it, looking as if he was pondering my question. "The only thing that happened was that I told him you were spending the night, and we were getting pizza. I guess that would be enough to piss him off," he determined. Yep, that would probably be enough to piss him off.

When we got inside the apartment, I wasn't surprised to see Emmett doing chin ups on the portable bar that he'd bought years ago which was wedged in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. He was wearing a pair of sweats and a wife beater, and his face was beet red from the strain.

"Em, turn that shit down," Edward yelled. Emmett opened his eyes and saw the two of us, dropping from the bar.

He turned on us, and I could see exactly why he was pissed off. He didn't want me there when he was there. He walked over to the stereo in the living room and unplugged his iPod, turning off the sound. He turned back to the two of us and shook his head. "I told you that I didn't like her here over the weekend, but I like it even less when I'm here during the week. Rosie's got a seminar or some shit, and I can't leave, so I don't want Bella spending the night. I don't like that the two of you are together like this because I remember walking in here not a year ago to find you curled up on the couch with that Mandy girl. My sister doesn't deserve to be another notch on your fucking headboard, Cullen," Emmett complained.

I let go of Edward's hand and turned to look at him with a cocked eyebrow. I couldn't believe he'd lie to me about his history, but if what Emmett had just laid out was true, there was a lot about Edward that I didn't know.

Edward looked at my face, and I could see that he was immediately pissed off. "So that's the way you wanna play this, Eunice? Make me look like a liar in front of Bella? You know as well as I do that Mandy was here that night because she'd just broken up with her _girlfriend_," Edward snapped at him.

He turned to look at me and explained, "Babe, she was our next door neighbor, and she and I had a few classes together. Her girlfriend moved out while she was at class one day, and she showed up here because she didn't know anyone else in the building. I held her hand while she cried about it, and she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. I carried her to her apartment that night and deposited her on her own couch, and she moved out a few weeks later."

"Now, Miss Swan, if we're going to play it that way, I'll be happy to give Rosalie the head count of the number of women with whom I've shared my morning Corn Flakes because you leave a note on the nightstand and expect me to fucking let them down easily. I think she'd like to hear _that_ number," Edward threatened.

I looked at my brother and saw that he was even more pissed. I was afraid the two of them were going to tear the fucking place apart, and I had to try to stop it before it got started. "Emmett, knock it off. You're not going to make me doubt Edward by throwing bullshit at me. I'm not stupid, you know. You don't think he and I've talked about all of this? That was ridiculous, even for you. I'm sorry that you dislike having me around so much that you don't want me at your place. Come on, babe. Let's just go back to my dorm. It'll be tight in my bed, but we don't have to deal with this bullshit," I snapped.

"I'll go grab my stuff for tomorrow. Emmett, Bella's going to be in my life, and if you can't be around her, then I'll get another place to live, and you can find another roommate," Edward snapped as he stalked down the hallway to his bedroom, slamming the door loudly.

I turned to my brother. "Why, oh, why are you such a fucking asshole? The man treats me like a princess. He sends me flowers and spends time with me. He cares about me and asks me about my shit all the time, which I can honestly say that you've never fucking done. Why are you acting like this?" I yelled at him. I was certain that steam was coming out of my ears.

I loved my brother because he was my brother, but not at all because he'd ever tried to endear himself to me as a friend. Edward and Katie were not only siblings…they were friends, and you could hear it when they talked on the phone. I'd talked to her a couple of times, and we'd exchanged e-mails and texts of a very general getting-to-know-you variety. If she was actually as sweet in person as she was in other communications, I'd be very lucky to call her a friend. I was very jealous that Emmett and I didn't have anything that remotely resembled friendship between us.

"SB, I don't want to see you get hurt, okay? You're so young and you don't know anything about…" he began.

"_STOP!_ Fucking stop right there, okay? The only person hurting me right now is _you_, Emmett. You've set out to make me fucking miserable my entire life, and now you're doing anything you can to fuck this up for me with Edward. I'm nineteen, and your stupid ass is only two years older than me. It's not like you're a fucking adult. You don't know what's best for me, okay? I have to find my own way, just like you do, and you are only making that harder for me," I complained as I started to fucking cry. I hated to cry, but I especially hated to cry in front of my brother.

I felt strong arms around me and turned to see Edward standing next to me, pulling me into his arms. "Baby, don't cry. I hate it when you cry. Come on," he urged quietly. He grabbed my bag and his shit, and we left without a word from Emmett. When we got to the elevator, I stopped us.

"_We're _not leaving. He's not going to run us out of _your_ apartment. You pay half the rent there, and he's not going to run you out of your home. We can go to your room, and he can go to hell," I determined.

I dried my tears and took Edward's hand, leading him back to his apartment. He opened the door without a word, and we both went to his room, shutting the door and shutting out my brother. If Emmett's goal was to be a dick, he'd done it in spades.

As we settled into bed after we'd eaten pizza and finished our homework, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my brother. "_Lunch tomorrow or I tell Rosalie about all of the women you've paraded through here. I'd guess she won't come back if she knows the history, even if you have potpourri on the back of the toilet_." I tossed my phone on the nightstand and turned off the light.

"I love you. He totally fucked up our night, but I'll pay him back, I swear," Edward yawned as we settled into his bed that night. The only reason I got a bit of sleep was because I was in his arms. In his arms, I felt safe and loved, and I hoped I'd never have to be without the feeling ever again.

##

"Hi," Emmett responded sheepishly as we met at a diner midway between my campus and his. I had Edward's car so I could get to class, and I was supposed to pick him up after his two o'clock financial reporting class that afternoon so he could take me back to Stovers. I was glad to have the car to be able to meet with my brother because we needed to hammer out some shit, and he needed to understand that he wasn't going to intimidate me or Edward ever again.

"Look, I don't plan to eat because I've got a few errands to run before I take Edward his car, so I'm going to make this short and sweet. I don't give a flying fuck if you approve of Edward and me or not. I love him, and he loves me, and you're not going to get in the way of that. I don't care that you think that I'm too young to have those feelings because I firmly believe that you're like Dad and don't see me as an adult. I hate to tell you this, but I can vote, drive, and I've got an assload of debt that I'll have to pay off when I graduate, unlike you. I didn't get a fucking scholarship, okay? Mom and Dad are splitting my tuition with me, but my incidentals are all being paid for by me, so if you don't think I can take care of myself, you're dumber than I thought," I complained.

"Wait, Mom and Dad aren't paying your way?" he asked in complete disbelief. The ass monkey.

"No! Why would you think that? I paid for my community college tuition, and I split the Stovers' tuition with Mom and Dad, but I have to pay them back their half after I pay off my student loans. I got a few small grants and a scholarship for my equipment and lab fees, but every-fucking-thing I do, buy, or eat comes right out of my own pocket," I explained.

"Where the fuck did _you_ get money?" he asked like a dick as the waitress delivered his soda and my tea. He ordered lunch…I didn't. I had no appetite.

"I cleaned up dog shit for two-and-a-half years and held onto every fucking penny I made. I have about eight-thousand dollars in my savings account that I draw on for books and shit. Mom and Dad don't put money into my account like they do yours, _Heisman_," I snapped. I was smugly satisfied with the look of surprise on his face.

"I make my own money you know…well, I make _some_ money. I had no idea about your tuition and shit, okay?" he asked.

"How do you pay your half of the rent?" I asked. I hadn't even thought about it.

"Cullen didn't tell you? Hmm. That's a surprise. Well, I don't pay rent. He pays the rent, and I pay the utilities," he volunteered. I was pretty sure that the rent was a hell of a lot more expensive than the electric, gas and cable. I would, however, begin leaving lights on around Edward's house when I was there to drive up Emmett's expenses.

"How do _you_ make money? Decorating?" I asked sarcastically. I'd yet to hear of a job that paid someone to sit on their ass and play Xbox all day.

"I make money, okay? That's all you need to know. If you're going to stay at our place, then just make sure your clothes stay on, and I don't hear anything. Also, knock off giving me shit about my room. Rosalie picked all that stuff out, and if she likes it, then I like it," he complained.

"Same goes for you, dumbass," I replied as I tossed a twenty on the table and left him to eat. God, he was a clueless idiot.

\\\

_**E/N: I'm sure a lot of you are going to have things to say about the inequity between the way Charlie/Renee treat Bella/Em regarding schooling. It all comes into play in a few chapters, I promise!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: PLEASE READ…I KNOW YOU HATE AUTHOR'S NOTES, BUT THERE'S INFO HERE YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW!**_

_**Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love hearing from you. I know you're all ready to kill Emmett and Charlie, and I'm right along with you.**_

_**Three things: 1) I'll remind you that Emmett has a scholarship to play football for ND. Bella got a few grants and small scholarships for her degree, but her parents are sharing her tuition expenses with her. She's supposed to pay them back their half after she pays off her student loans. Fair? No. Common? More than you'd guess.**_

_**2) Edward's POV is coming up. The first half of the story is written solely in Bella's POV with the second half of the story told by Virginward. Patience, grasshoppers! He has a lot to say and he'll get it all out there!**_

_**3) This is my last chapter before vacation. I'll check back in with you when I get back!**_

_**To my Beta, Scorpio11 – Thank you, darlin'. You smoothed out all of the rough spots!**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended.**_

_**\\\**_

11. Say Cheese!

##

"What's wrong?" Alice asked as I looked at the photos laid out on my bed. It was Thursday afternoon, and I had an appointment to meet with my advisor to show him my Tai Chi photos to see if he thought they were worth anything.

"I'm just trying to figure out if any of these are worthy of being entered into a juried show. Take a look and pick out two that you think are the best of the series," I suggested. She'd been hemming a dress on a mannequin in the corner, and the third body…albeit a stuffed torso…in the room definitely made it claustrophobic.

"I'm not a good judge of things like that," Alice volunteered as she walked over to my bed and perused the photos.

"I'm not asking you to judge anything. I'm just asking you to pick two that you like," I replied. I walked out of the room and walked down the hallway to the vending machines, grabbing a soda and leaving Alice alone to make her picks.

As I was about to return to our room, I heard Rosalie laughing down the hallway. I decided to wait for her. "Yeah, she's a bitch, but she's a smart bitch. I'll see you next week," she called to a tall redhead who went to the stairwell and up another flight.

"Rose," I greeted as she turned to her room and pulled out her key to open her door. She quickly turned around and smiled at me.

"Hey, Bella. How's everything going?" she asked. I could tell that Emmett hadn't told her anything about what had happened between us, and while I wasn't going to piss on his parade, I was more curious about how things were going in their short relationship.

"Things are okay. I'm fine…Edward's perfect…school's fine…my brother's a complete and utter dick. How are you two doing?" I asked.

"I had a study group, and Emmett's got his pre-law group tonight. I'll be glad when the semester is over so that shit is done. He's actually going to work for my dad at his firm in New York over the summer. He's still trying to figure out how to tell your parents, but Daddy is looking forward to working with him," Rosalie gushed. _Pre-law group?_ I had no idea what the hell _that_ was…it sounded like some made-up shit to me.

"Yeah, well, I can't wait for Charlie and Renee to find out either. I've got to get back because I'm doing a shoot tonight for a special project. Edward's sister, Katie, and her boyfriend are coming into town tomorrow. Maybe we can all get together?" I asked. I hoped that maybe there would be safety in numbers.

"Sure. Call me," she answered. I nodded and walked back to my dorm room. Just as I was about to open the door, my phone chimed in the pocket of Edward's sweatshirt that I'd stolen from him. I pulled it out and opened the text, feeling the smile on my face at the mere sight of his name.

_**Em's not here. Can't you skip this thing and come over? I've got something I want to try. ILY-E**_

I wanted to oblige him more than anything, but I'd been on the waiting list for this particular seminar, and I wasn't going to miss it. It was a one-on-one with a photographer who specialized in photographing nudes without the usual pornographic slant. The use of light, shadow, and props was her specialty, and I wasn't going to miss it for anything. I decided to strike a deal with the young wannabe tycoon.

_**My slot's over at seven. Can you wait until then? I'll take the bus over…hell, I'll get a cab. ILY2-B**_

I shoved my phone back in the pouch pocket and walked back into our room finding Alice and Jasper perusing the photos I'd laid out on my bed. When I closed the door, both of them snapped their heads to me and smiled.

"Well, darlin', these are fantastic. I know you're lookin' for two, but I saw this on the internet. Maybe you'd wanna submit the series to this," he suggested. It was a gallery in New York hosting a beginner photography contest in the fall entitled "Peace" which was to coincide with the anniversary of September 11. There was a monetary prize for the top three photographers, and I was completely intrigued.

The premise was that each photographer would submit photos that captured his or her definition of peace. I was sure there'd be a lot of pictures of sleeping babies and puppies, but the photos of the participants in the Tai Chi class that early morning with the spring sun shining on them signified peace to me.

"Thanks, Jasper, I'll look into it. Would both of you pull two that you like and leave them on my desk? I've got a thing. Are you two free on Saturday night? Edward's sister and her boyfriend are coming to town, and I thought we could all do dinner or something," I suggested.

They looked at each other and both nodded, not surprisingly. "We'd love to. Let me know when and where," Alice responded. I nodded as I grabbed my stuff to go to the studio.

It was, thankfully, a sixty-degree day in northern Indiana. The trees were starting to bloom because the winter had actually been unseasonably warm, but it wasn't bathing suit weather in my opinion. I'd seen stupid girls all over campus in tank tops and jog bras lying on the grass to get sun of any kind, and I simply laughed at their stupidity.

When I walked into the studio, I saw a guy who I recognized from one of my classes taking instructions from the guest instructor. Her name was Irina Dubrovnik, and she was a professional photographer who was allegedly tied to one of the professors at the school which was why she'd agreed to do the one-on-one sessions in the first place. I was just thankful to have landed the slot.

I saw Angela sitting in one of the chairs examining her equipment, and I sank down in the floor next to her. "How's it been?" I whispered as the instructor shouted in Russian at the guy, Alistair.

"She's temperamental as hell, but God, she knows her shit. She's got two models, and it's a study in black and white. Black background with a white sheet and the lighting. Did you bring black and white film because I've got extra if you need it. She refuses to allow digitals. That girl, um, Bree? She came with a digital, and the woman threw her out of the room," Angela whispered as the female model held the sheet open in front of her. She was backlit so you saw her naked silhouette, but not blatantly exposing anything. It was fucking brilliant.

There was music in the background, and it was the photographer's choice if they wanted to use any special effects. I saw Alistair ask for the smoke machine, and I decided I didn't want any special effects. I wanted raw magnetism, and I wanted the models nude, but tasteful. A side shot without showing anything was just as alluring as full frontal nudity, and if I could capture it, I was bound and determined I would.

After another fifteen minutes of watching her instruct Alistair as he posed the model, I got nervous as hell. She was scathing in her assessment of his choices, and I wasn't looking forward to my turn. I saw Angela looking pale. "Do me a favor and trade with me. I need more time and less people. I'm next, but please, take my slot and let me go throw up in peace," she pleaded. I chuckled and nodded.

She raced from the room just as Alistair got his final shots, and the model left the room. "Reset," Irina called. People scampered from the shadows and reset the lighting and filters and the small number of props that were available for use.

"Veber," I heard yelled as Irina looked at a clipboard. I grabbed my equipment and walked up, swallowing hard and trying to still my nerves.

"Ah, you are Veber. Tell me, vy you take pictures?" she asked as she stared at me intensely.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I want to capture every experience I can on film so that future generations can look back and speculate on exactly why I took that particular shot at that particular moment, and then draw their own conclusions with regard to what I was thinking at the time and whether I was successful in capturing it," I answered nervously.

She walked in a circle around me, taking in my appearance for reasons I didn't know. I wasn't going to be photographed. She stopped in front of me and asked, "I like. So, boy or girl first?"

"Um, boy," I responded as I pulled out my camera and checked it. I pulled out my light meter and adjusted the key and fill lights and the bounce board, and then I waited for my model. When he walked out in a robe with a sheet draped over his arm, I held back a laugh…or maybe a vomit…and I turned to Ms. Dubrovnik.

"I'd like to photograph him with him blind folded. I don't want him to know who's taking the pictures because I think the element of mystery will be incredible on film. Is that permissible?" I asked quietly.

She looked at me for a moment and then nodded. "Interesting. A bit of intrigue it's good. Dmitri," she yelled as she instructed her assistant. He walked up and tied a black scarf around the model's eyes as I stood behind the key light so that he couldn't see me.

"This is going to give me a headache, you know. That's going to interrupt plans I have with my girlfriend later. I'll charge extra if that happens," he hollered. I chuckled.

"ENOUGH!" Irina yelled at him and the people in the room who laughed at the comment.

"I don't want to interact with him at all. Will you pass along instructions?" I whispered. She eyed me carefully.

"You're strange girl. I like. So?" she urged.

"His back to the key light with his head facing left for a profile. Sheet held open so that I get the shadow from the back light that outlines him, but doesn't show him naked. Sheet dropped low on his hips, but not showing his um…rear," I ordered.

She relayed my instructions in a barking fashion, and my model complied. After several shots with him adjusting the sheet and turning his head, we removed the blindfold while I stayed hidden behind the glare of the key light, and I took shots focused on his upper torso. I noticed the top of a tattoo on the lower left side of his abdomen that was a surprise. There was no way I was going to take shots of him naked because I didn't want anyone to see those, but I was thoroughly going to kick his ass later that night.

After fifteen minutes, the model was switched out for the female. I felt a lot freer taking those shots with her in naked shadows. Irina gave me advice as we went through the session, and before I knew it, my time was up.

"You knew male?" she asked.

"I did, but I still wanted to be objective behind the camera," I answered. That, and a plan was formulating in my head to use the pictures to my advantage in more than one way.

"My card. I vant copies. You call ven graduated," she ordered as she thrust her card toward me.

"Thank you," I replied. By the time I was ready to walk out the door, Angela walked back inside looking a lot better than she had when she ran out earlier. I had another thought then.

"Hey, when you shoot the guy, get a couple of shots of his face if you do full monties, will you? I didn't do it in my session, and I wish I had because I think it would help me pick which shots, if any, I enter in a show. I won't use yours, but I think it will help me. If you'll make me copies, I'll pay for them," I bargained.

"Sure, no problem," she answered looking confused. I squeezed her arm in support and walked over to the door, looking back to see her talking to Dubrovnik. Once I thought she was okay, I got the hell out of there.

I went back to my dorm and packed a bag for Friday, calling a cab to take me to Edward's apartment. It was going to be an interesting night, to say the least. As I was on my way, I got a text from the sexy man himself.

_**Key is under mat. Had to run errand, and I'm picking up dinner. Make yourself home. I'll be there asap. ILY-E**_

I laughed and replied that I would. I sent a text to his sister as the cab driver drove me to his apartment.

_**Looking forward to meeting you in person. Dinner on Sat with friends. You up for it? Bella**_

I let myself into his apartment and found it empty. I decided to get comfortable while he was gone, so I went into his bathroom having decided to take a hot bath. It had been a long couple of days…the most stressful part having been what I'd just gone through…and I felt like relaxing.

I went to the fridge and found an open bottle of wine, pouring myself a glass and walking back to his room to turn on the tub. Once I adjusted the temperature of the water, I walked into Edward's bedroom and turned on his iPod that rested in the docking station.

I didn't care if Emmett showed up or not while I was in Edward's bathroom. I was going to enjoy my night and try to decrease the stress I was feeling, and a warm bath sounded like a wonderful idea. We only had a shower in our dorm, so it was actually a nice treat. I'd just have to remember to get some bubbles to keep over here for special occasions.

I settled into the tub and took a sip of wine, closing my eyes and sinking low into the water. I took a deep breath and allowed my mind to wander. My life had changed a lot since I'd met Edward, but it was in a good way. I could never be sorry for that.

I heard the bedroom door open, and immediately felt a tingle in my body. I'd been in the tub for about ten minutes and the water was starting to cool, so I pulled the plug to let some of it out and turned on the hot again. I wasn't ready to leave the retreat. "Baby?" I heard called.

"In here," I responded. He walked into the bathroom and smiled, pulling his shirt over his head immediately. "This is almost as good as what I hoped for," he joked as he stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the tub behind me. I settled into his chest as the water filled, and it was incredible.

I turned off the hot water and reached for my glass of wine, handing it to him. He took a sip and set it on the floor next to the tub. "How was your thing?" he asked as he moved my hair off my shoulders and kissed my neck.

"Surprising. Where were you?" I asked. I was wondering if I should tip my hand regarding what I knew or keep it to myself.

"I had a meeting with my advisor, and then I went to the grocery store and dry cleaners. I'd have picked you up, but I wasn't sure when you'd be finished, and I didn't want to make you feel rushed. Kate and Garrett are staying at a hotel down the road. I couldn't work out anything else, so I just got them a reservation," he replied.

"Really? That's all you did tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?" he responded.

"So, you weren't over at Stovers?" I asked.

"No, why?" he replied. Hmm…interesting.

"Where's Emmett, not that I'm sorry he's not here. Wait a minute…you actually pay his rent? He needs to get a fucking job and pay his own rent, you know. He's got a scholarship and Mom and Dad give him incidental money because he's the big football jock. I don't think they give him much, but he can get a fucking job and help with the rent," I offered remembering my half-assed lunch with my brother.

"I truly have no idea where he is because he's not speaking to me. Regarding the rent, my parents pay that shit. They'd pay it for me if I lived alone, but Emmett was going to be stuck in the dorm, and well, his shitty behavior of late aside, I couldn't do that to him. He pays the utilities," Edward responded as he took the body wash and began scrubbing both of us.

"So, you weren't with him tonight?" I asked again.

"No, why?" he asked sounding like he was annoyed with me. I shifted in the tub and turned to look at him.

"You won't believe the photo shoot I had. It was incredible. It was a study in nudes, but not really naked. They had a sheet around them, and the lighting allowed a lot of shadow so that their faces could be mostly obscured. I did, however, have a model I recognized," I began.

I saw him swallow and then pull me closer. "Who was it?" he asked nervously. I didn't know why he was nervous, but I chuckled nonetheless.

"Okay, I instructed the Russian to give the directions, but it was completely tasteful because, trust me, I couldn't photograph him any other way and put those pictures out there, knowing who he was," I answered.

"Just cut to the fucking chase, and tell me who the hell it was," he demanded as he pulled me closer to him. Feeling his naked body next to mine, even in the water, was incredible, and for a moment I lost my train of thought.

When I pulled myself together, I began my tale. "Understand this. A photographer has to be objective in photographing subjects, regardless of who they are. I didn't want people out there ogling the pictures and making something ugly out of them. My male model was…Emmett. He was fully covered the whole time I took the pictures, but that was just when I was taking the pictures for my slot. I have no idea what the others directed him to do," I confessed, hoping and praying that he didn't think I was some sick fuck for photographing my brother nearly naked.

Edward started laughing, not surprisingly, and then he looked at me. "Are you telling me that Emmett volunteers to be a nude model at your school?" he asked.

"Apparently he does, but I know he gets paid for it. Wonder what Charlie and Renee would say about that?" I speculated to myself mostly.

"Oh, God, that's fucking priceless. He didn't know that you were the one taking the pictures?" he asked. I was just grateful that he didn't run screaming from the room.

"Nope. Not even a hint," I responded.

"Oh, this is going to be so good. I can see the pictures, right? I mean, you're not going to hide them, right?" he asked.

"No. I'm planning to submit them as extra credit for my Photo I class, why?" I asked. He was making me nervous.

"Because, this isn't the first time he's done this. I had no idea what he did, but every month he comes home with money and pays me back for money he borrows from me. If he's doing this kind of shit instead of getting a job, I'm going to bury the fucker. He'll never give us grief again," Edward determined.

I felt bad about the confession for all of sixty seconds until I remembered all of the shit that Emmett had given me over the years. He most certainly could have gotten a legitimate job in his off-season, but he chose to pose for nude photos and God only knew what else because he was too lazy to get a fucking job! Oh, that didn't sit well with me. He deserved whatever Edward was going to throw at him, and I decided that I'd use it to my advantage as well. God knew Emmett had earned whatever we came up with to torture him.

We got out of the tub because the water was cold, and after drying each other thoroughly and kissing repeatedly, we fell into his bed. Dinner could wait. I couldn't.

I learned the proper way to give a blow job that night because I'd never given one, and apparently, Edward had only received one half-assed one in high school. It was bad enough that he knew what he_ didn't_ want from me, and not surprisingly, biting wasn't a turn on for him. Hell, I could have deduced that on my own.

As my tongue swirled around the rim of his engorged cock, he thrust into my mouth and called, "Oh, fuck, yes," just before he pulled away from me and climaxed on his stomach. I'd have tried the swallowing thing, but when I mentioned it, he seemed worried that for a first time I wouldn't like it, and then he mentioned quite enthusiastically that he really wanted me to like doing it. He'd tried to play it off like he was just being considerate of me, but I knew for a fact that it was a self-serving statement, and it caused me to giggle.

"Come on, I found a new Chinese place," he informed as he gave me a t-shirt to put on. He had on pajama pants and a t-shirt, and I was in his shirt and a pair of panties which was all he wanted me in. I was fine with it.

We settled on the couch with a blanket and Chinese food. He turned on the television, finding a basketball game, and we ate our dinner and talked. I was in heaven.

After we finished, he put away the food, and we went to bed because he had an early class and I wanted to get into the darkroom to develop the two rolls of film I'd taken. It had actually been a fantastic evening, and I fell asleep with the love of my life, I was very certain.

\\\

_**E/N: So, we know where Em makes his pen money! Wonder how B & E are going to use it to their advantage? Leave me some love. I can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks so much for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: I'm back! I'd have posted last night, but there was a convergence of factors that prohibited it. But, here it is! Thank you so much for your reviews. We're nearly at 300! I'm so dang happy, I'd sing, but then you'd definitely quit reading!**_

_**Scorpio11 – Thank you so much for fixing this. You have no idea how much your help means to me!**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended from lil ol' me!**_

_**\\\**_

_Last Time…_

_After we finished, he put away the food, and we went to bed because he had an early class and I wanted to get into the darkroom to develop the two rolls of film I'd taken. It had actually been a fantastic evening, and I fell asleep with the love of my life, I was very certain. _

_\\\_

12. Groundwork

##

"I have to go, or I'm gonna be late," Edward moaned against my lips. He was dressed for class, and I was still in his t-shirt, though I'd pulled on a pair of his boxers over my panties in case my brother was there when we got up.

We'd just finished our cereal, and I was going to clean up the mess and get the bus back over to Stovers for my afternoon classes. I was in a hurry to hit the dark room so I could see how my shots had turned out because I was jumpy to see if any of them were worthy of sending to Dubrovnik. I was also eager to find Angela to see if she'd developed her photos yet.

"I'm not even touching you," I teased as I stood in front of him with my hands behind my back while his were firmly planted on my ass as his wicked tongue danced with mine. I wasn't able to form too many sentences because it felt wonderful, but I knew he needed to go before he was late.

"You're not, and why is that? I can't seem to keep my hands off of you," he whispered as he moved his lips across my cheek and down my neck, gently running his tongue along it and causing me to actually shiver.

"Oh, God…not this early in the fucking morning," we both heard behind Edward. I opened my eyes to see my brother in a t-shirt and boxers, and I immediately averted my eyes, remembering the night before where I'd seen more of him than I ever wanted to see in my whole fucking life.

"Bye, baby. I'll text you later, or if you hear from Katie, let me know what time they'll be here. I love you," Edward told me as he pecked me on the lips again and squeezed my ass a little before he turned to Emmett.

"Didn't know you were here, douche. What'd you do last night?" Edward asked as he walked behind Emmett and winked at me on his way to the door.

"I had a study group. You know that I have a meeting every month," Emmett reminded. I heard Edward laughing as he closed the door behind him, leaving me alone to face my very cranky brother who was glaring at me.

I began clearing the table, and decided to chat up the jackass a bit. "So, a study group that only meets once a month? How on earth does that help?" I asked as I finished my hot tea and discarded the bag in the trash.

"It helps just fine. What the hell are you doing here? Don't you two ever stay at your place?" he snapped. _Oh, that shit was going to stop in very short order._

"I live in a dorm room that I share with Alice. If Jasper stays the night, that's three of us. If Edward also stays, that's four of us. It's like Pope's in a Volkswagen, Em. Here, we stay in Edward's room if you're home, and we don't bother you. You keep up this shit with me, and I'll make you very sorry, I can promise you," I threatened as I put my mug in the dishwasher.

He laughed. "Oh, Silver Bells is gonna threaten the Prince? Yeah, you got nothin'," he replied cockily as he pulled a mug and poured himself the rest of the coffee that I'd made for Edward.

I decided to hold my Ace and flip another card. "I'm thinking about getting a tattoo. How do you think Charlie and Renee would take the news?" I asked as I rinsed our bowls and placed them in the dishwasher.

"You know exactly how they'd take the news. They'd fuckin' flip. They're already gonna be pissed when I tell them about you setting up house with Cullen," he posed his own threat.

It was exactly what I was expecting. "What'd they say when you got yours?" I asked nonchalantly as I wiped off the counter and rinsed the sponge, placing it on the sink ledge to dry.

"_I_ don't have a tattoo. They made it known a long time ago that they'd kill us if we got 'em. I do as Mom and Dad say, unlike you. They'll really be thrilled when you come home at nineteen and tell 'em that you're having Cullen's love child. I'm sure they'll be proud," he snapped. It took every ounce of self-control not to tell him what I knew, but it wasn't the time or place, and I had a master plan. I just needed to find Angela.

##

I went to the dark room I shared with three other photography students and developed my pictures. I was quite pleased with the results…so much so that I made a second set of prints and promised myself that I was going to send them to Dubrovnik, along with a letter of explanation regarding why my name wasn't 'Veber' as she'd assumed from the evening before because I'd taken Angela's slot. I was fairly confident that she wouldn't care about the swap, but I would word the letter carefully so as not to throw Angela under the bus by accident.

After I'd cleaned up everything, I sent Angela a text asking her whereabouts. Then, I sent one to Katie asking where she and Garrett were. Just as I was stopping at the _Bean_ to get a tea, I saw Angela and Ben sitting at a table in the back appearing to be very cozy. I didn't want to intrude, but I was getting ready to go back to my room to drop off a bunch of stuff before my class, and if she had what I needed, I wouldn't have to carry it around with me for the rest of the day. I definitely wanted to be armed and ready when Emmett came up with more bullshit.

I approached the table and cleared my throat, seeing the two of them smiling and staring into each other's eyes. I truly missed Edward in that moment. "Sorry to interrupt, but Ang, how'd your session go?" I asked without giving too much away in case Ben didn't know what she'd done the night before. I had enough problems of my own…I didn't need to create them for anyone else.

She jumped a bit and looked at me with that googly-eyed smile that I was sure I walked around with most of the time. "Hi, Bella. Um, it went great, actually. I've got something for you," she sang as she reached into her backpack and handed me a large manila envelope.

"Who was the guy?" Angela asked as I opened the envelope and glanced inside, catching a glimpse of Emmett's bare ass that I could have done without.

"Well, without trying to sound like a twisted pervert, he's my brother. I had no idea he was doing that shit, but he's giving me seven kinds of hell for dating Edward, and it's time to level the playing field. He's threatening to tell my very strict parents that I stay at Edward's apartment sometimes, and I'm about to unleash the Hounds of Hell on him with these pictures.

"Just so you know…I won't be looking at these. I'll get Edward to choose the photos that I use to torment him. I'm not some kind of freak, okay? How much do I owe you?" I clarified. I wanted to leave them alone, so the sooner the financial aspect of our little arrangement was processed, the sooner they could go back to eye fucking each other.

"Oh, you don't owe me anything. Ben told me if it hadn't been for you, he'd have never asked me out. We're officially even. Let me know how it goes with Ron," she remarked.

"Ron?" I asked.

She took the envelope from my hand and pulled out a photocopy of a release that all nude models had to sign if they were going to be anyway identifiable in the photos. In my shots, only my mom and Rosalie would probably recognize Emmett, so I didn't need one.

She handed it to me, and as I perused it, I started laughing. "He fucking wishes. Thanks, Ang," I called as I shoved it into the envelope and then the envelope into my backpack. _Ron Jeremy my ass_.

##

I stood at Rosalie's door with two purposes in mind. One, I wanted to borrow a top because I was quite nervous about meeting Edward's sister and wanted to make a good impression. I'd received a text from her that she and Garrett had checked into the _Ivy Court Inn & Suites_ in Mishawaka. They were going to freshen up and meet us at Edward's apartment. We were going to go out the next night as a group, but Friday night, we were staying in so that Katie and I could get to know each other.

The other reason I was there was to do a little recon work on my brother, hopefully not tipping her off that I had something on him. I'd decided that I had to learn to handle Emmett on my own, and I'd only bring her into it if he didn't heed my threats. It was all up to Emmett.

I knocked twice, and when she opened the door, I was grateful that she smiled at me. "Hey, Bella. What's up?" she asked sweetly.

"Can I come in for a minute? I'm supposed to meet Edward's sister today, and I was wondering if I could borrow that red blouse that you wore the other day," I asked. It was a beautiful red silk blouse with white pearl buttons, and I thought it would look good on me…well, it might be a little big in the bust, but maybe one of the push up bras that Alice had suggested I buy off the internet one night might help take up the slack. I'd never stuffed my bra before, and I wasn't going to do it that night, but they didn't call the fucker "The Miracle Bra" for nothing. _I'm just sayin'…_

"Sure. Come on in. Actually, I don't think the red is exactly right for you, but I've got this great sage green one in the same style that would highlight your hair and eyes more. It's St. Patrick's weekend, so it's more in the spirit. Let me find it," she told me as she invited me inside and closed the door.

I sat down on the futon in her room and picked up one of her decorative pillows, looking around with longing at the large room and private bathroom that she was privy to as the RA. It would have been so nice to have the same accommodations instead of the refrigerator box where Alice and I lived.

"Oh, hey, do you know where Em got his tat?" I asked nonchalantly as I picked up a fashion magazine so that I didn't have to look at her because Bella Swan most certainly didn't have a poker face.

"Oh, he told you? I assume he didn't show you…that would be too strange. Anyway, we got matching ones in Ohio. My brother-in-law owns a shop. Here, I can show you mine," she replied as she walked out of her closet and pulled down the back of her Juicy Couture yoga pants to show me the top of her left ass cheek where a small rendition of the Scales of Justice with a rose wrapped around it was visible.

Out of curiosity, I got up from the futon to get a second look. I'd been with Edward as long as Rosalie and Emmett had been together, and I'd be damned if I'd get something relating to him tattooed on me anywhere. My idiot brother apparently had no qualms. The Rosie Scales of Justice…that shit was priceless.

"That's, um, that's nice. So, Em really thinks he's going to go to law school?" I asked as I sat back down while she adjusted her clothes. If his tattoo matched hers, I had two aces in my hand. It was the best day ever.

She walked back into the large closet that I lusted after nearly as much as I lusted after my boyfriend, and she emerged a minute later with a few tops, one of which was the green one. "Here, I found a few that might work for you. So, um, yeah, he's sitting for the LSAT's over the summer. Daddy's going to help him study, and then they'll figure out where Em's going to go to law school. I'm pretty sure he'll get in wherever he applies…the Hale name carries a lot of weight in New York," she offered.

The question that circled my mind was if the Hale name carried so damn much weight, what was she doing pursuing her degree at Stovers instead of one of the Seven Sisters or Little Ivy's back east. I certainly wasn't going to ask her, but it did cross my mind.

"Has he talked to Mom and Dad about any of it?" I asked. I was pretty sure if he had, I'd have heard the shouting all the way in Mishawaka. I had no idea what career aspirations my parents had for the big dumb idiot, but I doubted that they'd believe he'd make a good lawyer. She _did_ seem pretty sure of it, though, which caused me to question her mental faculties.

"Oh, he hasn't talked to you about it yet? He's planning to go home next weekend so that he can introduce me to them and explain to them about his plans. I thought maybe you and Edward would want to come along," she suggested.

As much as I really wanted to be there when all of that shit was unloaded on Charlie and Renee Swan, I certainly wasn't going to subject Edward to it. If Emmett really loved her, he wouldn't have her there either. "I'll probably have to go, but I don't think all of the news should come out in one weekend. I'll wait to tell them mine another time," I answered. I saw her think about my statement and nod in agreement.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best. Anyway, if you want to get a tat, I'll call Nick and ask him if he knows anyone in town who can do a good job. Send me a text about tomorrow's plans, okay? I guess we're all going to the Fling together?" she asked.

I'd forgotten all about it, what with all of the clandestine planning I'd been doing to take my brother to task. It was then that I remembered that I hadn't sent Katie a picture to procure a fake ID for me, so I'd be stuck drinking water while the rest of them got shit faced. I wasn't looking forward to that.

"Yeah, I guess we will. I'll text you in the morning," I answered as I grabbed the clothes and made my way to the door.

"Have fun, and don't be nervous," she called as I walked out the door.

"Thanks," I called back as I closed it. I quickly made my way back to my room, seeing Edward standing at my door scrolling through his phone.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I walked down the hallway, surprised to see him. I thought he had an afternoon class. If he was standing at my door, I was worried that something was wrong.

He looked up and smiled at me, shoving his phone in the pocket of his jacket. "My last class was cancelled so I decided to come here and wait for you to go to your last one. I can study in your room, and when you're done, we'll go back to my place for the weekend," he suggested with a beaming smile on his handsome face.

"You sure you'd rather sit here and wait for me than go home and relax?" I asked. Hell, I'd have rather been anywhere except in my room.

"Sure. Nothing here to distract me so that I'll actually get my homework finished. I don't want to worry about anything over the weekend. I want to get it all done this afternoon so I can concentrate on you," he answered as he laced his fingers into my hair at the back of my neck and pulled my lips to his. It was a welcome diversion in my Friday.

When we pulled away, I checked the time on the large clock at the end of the hallway, seeing that I had a few minutes before I needed to leave for class. I opened the door and pulled him inside with me. "I've got a few minutes. I've got something to tell you," I informed as I tossed my keys on my dresser and locked the door behind him.

He walked over to my bed and tossed his messenger bag on the floor, flopping down on my mattress as he kicked off his shoes. "So, how'd your photos of Emmett turn out?" he asked with a laugh in his voice.

I unpacked my dirty clothes from my bag, only to repack it for the weekend. I was truly tired of having to pack my shit, but the thought of not staying with him for the weekend was too depressing not to just suck it up and get my shit together.

"Oh, I've _got_ my leverage," I told him as I went to my backpack and pulled out the envelope Angela had given me, tossing it to him as I filled my laundry bag. I was going to have to break down and do laundry on Sunday which meant that I'd have to be back in the dorm early enough to get a machine because it was the most popular day for the mundane task.

"I've got to be back on Sunday morning so I can do my laundry. I'm running out of underwear," I remarked as I picked through the slim pickings in my lingerie drawer. I started to skip over the period panties until I remembered that I should start the next day, and suddenly, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be staying with Edward for the weekend.

"Holy shit…you took _these_?" Edward gasped as he flipped through the 8x10s that Angela had taken, glancing at me in disbelief with each new photo.

"No, God, no. One of my classmates took those. I had her give me an extra set. I haven't even looked at them and have absolutely no desire to see them. I fear I'd burn out my eyes with a hot spoon like that poor kid in 'Slumdog'. Mine are much more conservative. What I thought was that you could pick one out…one of the least scandalous to start with I think…so I can use it to threaten him that if he gives me anymore grief about our relationship, I'll slip one of them under Rosalie's door. If that doesn't work, the next one goes FedEx to my parents. That's my leverage," I announced rather proudly for having thought up my little plan.

Edward started laughing and grabbed my hand, pulling me onto his lap on the bed. "Who knew I would fall in love with a master villain. I'll look through them and come up with an order. Now, do we have time for a little…," he asked as he waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Um, look, I don't know if it's a good idea for me to stay at your place this weekend," I began, hoping and praying that I wouldn't have to go into a detailed explanation as to why.

"What? Why not? Not because of this shit with Emmett because I swear to God, I'll throw his ass…" he began complaining.

I kissed him to stop him. I should have known better than to think he'd just say, "Oh, sure, whatever you think." "That's not why. I'm due to…um…I'm due to start, and I think I should be here…" I tried. I hated being so damn shy about shit like that. I was pretty sure that Rosalie would just announce, "Hey, dipshit, I'm on the rag." That wasn't exactly my style.

"Start? Start what?" he asked as he eyed me carefully. Fuck, I was going to have to just say it. I hated that shit.

"My period," I announced a little louder than was absolutely necessary. It was also unfortunate that Alice and Jasper chose that moment to walk into the room. I hadn't even heard her key in the lock.

Many people have the ability to take an awkward situation and make it into a comedic episode that can be laughed about at dinner parties for many years to come. I, however, possessed no such talent. Jasper's face was just as contorted as Edward's, and Alice was laughing hysterically. Well, at least one of us got a laugh out of it.

"Sorry. We didn't hear you in here. We're just stopping by," Alice announced along with her raucous guffawing which made me want to slap the bejeesus out of her.

"Well, we were supposed to meet tomorrow, but I suppose there's no time like the present. I'm Edward, Bella's boyfriend. You must be Alice and Jasper?" Edward introduced as he placed me on the bed next to him and stood up, offering his hand. Jasper shook it with a smirk on his face, and Alice slapped it away, tugging him into a hug. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind.

"Nice to meet you. We're lookin' forward to meetin' your sister and her boyfriend as well," Jasper offered.

"Yeah, um, they're looking forward to it too," Edward responded as he sat back down on the bed next to me.

Alice quickly rifled through papers on her desk and found the reason they had walked into the room at that unfortunate moment in the first place. "Okay, I'm ready," she announced. We said good-bye, and they quickly left. I made a vow to myself to always knock before I opened the door, sock or no sock.

"They seem nice," Edward responded as he reached into his messenger bag, pulling out a book and tossing it on the bed, reaching back inside for his laptop.

"Yeah, um, so anyway, I'll just come back here tonight," I answered. I saw him look at Alice's bed, spying Jasper's duffel that had been dropped off when they stopped by.

"It's a good thing they came in when they did because I was just about to lose my shit. You mean to tell me that you'd feel more comfortable sleeping in here with Jasper than you would sleeping with me?" he snapped. The anger was a bit of a surprise.

"No, that's not it. I won't be _sleeping_ with Jasper. I'll be sleeping in my own bed. If I'm at your house, I'd be sleeping with you, and I didn't think you'd be comfortable with that," I replied honestly.

"Why? Why would I not be comfortable with that? That's fucking ridiculous, you know. So, you're only going to sleep with me three weeks out of the month? We're not living in the Victorian era, and as far as I know, neither of us are a member of any sort of orthodox religion that mandates that we sleep separately when you're on your period. I grew up with a sister, so I have an idea of what it entails…oh, and my dad's a doctor, so I have more than a bit of knowledge on the subject. The only reason I care about the fact that you're going to start your period is because that puts off my opportunity to reciprocate to you," he explained.

"Recipro…oh…OH! You'd want to do that?" I asked as I went to my underwear drawer and grabbed the blasted period panties, tossing them into my bag.

"Fuck yeah. If I wouldn't have been so out of it last night, I'd have done it then, but you sort of got me good," he enlightened with a cute smile on his face referring to the blow job I'd given him.

Why it popped into my head at that moment, only God knew, but my thoughts turned to Jenny Ramey. Poor Jenny Ramey…my only friend from high school… If she'd only stuck to blow jobs, she wouldn't have had to marry that idiot, Marty Rand when he knocked her up. She'd actually given him a blow job when the relationship began, and if she was dumb enough to think that moron wasn't going to tell anyone who would listen about it, she was more naïve than me.

After her reputation got out of control, she sort of alluded to the fact that she didn't really have anything to lose because Marty was the only guy who'd date her. Two months later, she was at the courthouse marrying a boy whose only aspiration was to master "WWII Commando." Unfortunately, there was no money in that, but I digress_._

His reference to "going downtown," as Jenny had called it, reminded my stupid ass that I needed to get to Student Health and get on the pill. I'd never had a reason in the past, but if things were going to continue to progress between us, eventually, we'd get to the real deal, and I wasn't about to end up like Jenny Ramey Rand.

"I, uh, I haven't started yet. It's probably going to start tomorrow," I informed, feeling the flush of my skin.

I saw the sexy grin on his face and heard the chuckle in his voice. "Well, then we'll have to take care of that tonight. How long does it last, anyway?" he asked. It was pretty fucking surreal to be standing in my dorm room talking to my _boyfriend_ about my period. It was like "Bizzaro World."

"Five days," I answered, then remembered the other bit of news I had. "But, um, I've got to go to Bluefield next weekend to see my parents. Emmett is taking Rosalie, and he plans to spring all of his grand plans on Mom and Dad. I've got to be there to make sure that the asshat doesn't out _us_ in an effort to deflect their wrath onto me. If I'm there, I can remind him what he has to lose if he says one word about us," I offered as I pointed to the envelope with the photos Angela had taken.

I saw him frown, and I didn't know why. Relationships were a lot harder than those fucking romantic comedies led one to believe. They could get their shit straightened out in about two hours, and you could sit there and witness it all for the price of a ticket. Unfortunately, real life wasn't quite so simple.

"What?" I asked as I sat down next to him and took his hand. He looked into my eyes and kissed my forehead.

"We _are_ going to tell your parents eventually, right? I don't like keeping this a secret from them, Bella. I don't want them to hate me. That makes for bad in-laws, from what I'd guess," he replied, referring to his plans that we'd marry someday.

I felt my heart pound a little, wondering exactly what his plans entailed, but knowing at the same time, I was probably not ready to hear them without needing a paper bag to hyperventilate into.

"Yes, we're going to tell them. I just don't think it's a good idea for it to come out next weekend after Emmett tells them that he's going to New York for the summer, and he's going to go to law school. I can already hear my dad saying, '_any law school that would let you in can't be worth a damn._' I don't want that crap to taint our relationship, okay?" I asked as I scraped my nails along his scalp, seeing his eyes close and feeling a soft hum of contentment.

"Fine. You better get going, but you're staying with me this weekend, got it?" he ordered. I leaned forward and kissed him softly before I grabbed my things to go to class.

"I'll be back in an hour. I'll finish packing then," I called as I pulled on my coat and shoes.

"Can I have your keys so I can get back in? I need to move my car," he replied. I tossed them to him and quickly ran down the hallway to the stairwell. Once outside, I ran all the way to the Creighton Building where the English department was housed. I slid into my seat in my Comp II class just before the professor arrived at her desk. I let out a deep breath and settled in to listen to the most boring lecture of my life.

_\\\_

_**E/N: Next chapter…Oh, brother! We go to the Spring Fling and…you'll have to read and find out! Please, leave me some love. I truly love to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks so much for reading and staying with me during my vacation.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I love reading them. Please, keep it up!**_

_**Scorpio11 is the best beta. She brought up things that needed to be clarified, and after I made edits, I didn't send it to her again. If there are problems, they're all me.**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended.**_

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13. Spring Fling

##

"Cullen, I love you. This is one of the sweetest things that anyone's ever done for me, but you've bought enough of this shit to last me for the rest of my college career. I don't even use all of this stuff," I announced as I perused the two bags full of feminine products that he'd hastily gone out and picked up while I was in class.

We were at his apartment, Emmett-free thank God, and we were in his room where he'd dumped everything on the bed. There was every kind of sanitary pad that was on the shelves…I was sure…same thing with tampons. There were five different kinds of Midol, two kinds of Pamprin, a bottle of Aleve, a heating pad, a hot water bottle, and the biggest _Toblerone_ bar I'd ever seen in my life. The one thing that caught my attention was something called "Softcups." I picked up the box and read it, having never seen the product before in my life, and I was actually intrigued. It was far different from pads or 'pons, and I was definitely interested. Leave it to my boyfriend to discover new eco-friendly feminine hygiene products for me that were multi-use.

I turned to look at him and saw him standing next to me with his hands jammed into the front pockets of his jeans, a sweet smile on his face. "I wanted to cover my bases, and I wanted to be sure that you knew that it didn't freak me out. I looked it up on the internet, and there were references to cramping and a craving for chocolate, so I took a shot," he confessed.

I put all of it back in the bags and then pulled him down on the bed with me. "Thank you for being so thoughtful. You have no idea what that means to me. What time are we meeting Katie and Garrett?" I asked as I moved my hand under his thermal shirt and gently scratched his abs, feeling him shudder under my touch.

"_Gah,_" he gasped as he pushed me onto my back and kissed me, seeking entrance to my mouth which I didn't hesitate to give. Tongues moving against each other as hands began undressing each other was the perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon. When I felt him moving my jeans down my legs, I dipped my hand inside the waistband of his jeans, feeling the head of his cock above the waistband of his boxers.

He moaned again, so I didn't hesitate to flip the buttons on his jeans and begin tugging at them to get them off. He quickly stopped me and pulled me from the bed. "Let's stop struggling here and make this part quick so I can take my time," he suggested with a smirk. I didn't take a second to consider his words. I stripped off and pulled the covers down on the bed that we'd made that morning, climbing in and waiting for him as he struggled with his t-shirt, finally just ripping it down the middle. I couldn't hold in the giggle.

"Eager?" I teased. He dove onto the bed and quickly pulled me beneath his body.

"You have no fucking idea how eager I am. I've thought about this all day," he replied as he began kissing his way down my body, starting at my lips, then moving down my neck, slowly nipping and licking which caused me to tremble. He kissed across my collarbone and then began moving down my chest, continuing the soft kisses and nips only making two stops on the way…left breast, and right breast. My nipples were quite happy he stopped to say hello as he sucked each of them into his mouth and swirled his tongue around them.

Moving on, he returned to his journey, stopping at my navel to dip inside and then kissing first to my left hip and then to my right one, finding a spot on me that I didn't even know was ticklish. When he reached his destination, I nearly screamed. Feeling his hot tongue against my tender flesh in such an intimate fashion was a new sensation.

His tongue was going where only his fingers had gone before, and I was as encouraging as a cheerleader, enjoying the things that he was doing to me and trying to keep from screaming in case someone was in the apartment that we didn't know about.

I had absolutely no idea how long the man worked his magic, but it was entirely too quick for me when my body exploded around his tongue. I couldn't help the squeal, and I prayed that no one besides me and the Magic Man heard it.

He slowly slinked his way back up my body like a jungle cat…okay, that sounded like something from a fucking Harlequin novel, but it was the only way to describe it…and flopped on his side, propping his head on his hand with a very satisfied smirk on his face.

"You're a jackass," I teased as I moved his sweaty bangs from his forehead, scratching his scalp a little and watching his eyes close as he leaned into my hand.

"I'm _your_ jackass, and you can't lie and say you didn't like it as much as I did," he taunted. Oh, he was spot on with that shit. What he'd just done to me was absolutely incredible.

"I think I liked it more than you did, but that doesn't make you anything other than a jackass because you're so fucking smug about it," I joked as I turned on my side and mirrored his position, feeling his hard cock twitch against my stomach.

I reached down and swirled a finger against the head, feeling it twitch again. "Now, what do we do about him?" I asked as my hand grasped _him_, hearing the other _him_ moan at my touch.

Just as he was about to answer me, the doorbell of his apartment rang. He looked over my shoulder at the clock. "Fuck. That's my sister. Trust me, love, he'll go away for a while now. Um, I'll go let her in. You go ahead and shower, and then I will," he suggested.

He hopped up off the bed and whipped on his jeans without his boxers, grabbing his t-shirt and then laughing when he realized it was ripped down the center. He took the ruined shirt and wiped his face, laughing the whole while. He went to his drawer and grabbed a fresh shirt, turning to me with a smile. "I'll be right back," he announced as he left the room. I was about to remind him to wash his face when the bell rang a few more times.

I got up and climbed into his shower, quickly washing myself and my hair, and when I opened the door to get out, he was standing naked at the sink, shaving. "Was it her?" I asked as I pulled one of the towels from the counter that he'd obviously grabbed for us since I'd forgotten, wrapping it around me and stepping onto the bath mat.

"Yeah. She and Garrett are having a beer in the living room. She teased the shit out of me because you didn't tell me that my hair was sticking up like I'd stuck my finger in a light socket. Anyway, I told her we'd be ready in a few minutes. Just let me finish shaving, and I'll grab a quick shower and get out of your way," he told me.

I walked behind him, kissing him between the shoulder blades. I tasted a bit of salt on his skin which reminded me of what we'd done earlier, causing a smile on my face that was never fucking going away. I reached down and scratched his abs where the perfect 'V' pointed to the road to heaven, and whispered, "I owe you one after they leave tonight."

He chuckled as he finished shaving and took a washcloth, wiping his face. "I've got ideas about that as well," he teased as he kissed me. Without another word, he got into the shower, and I went to the bedroom to get ready.

After he left the room, I quickly dried and styled my hair, dressed, and took a deep breath. It was time to meet the sister.

I walked down the hallway in a soft blue sweater that Rosalie had loaned me, opting to save the green silk top for Saturday. I paired the sweater with a pair of tight jeans that I thought made my ass look good, and since we were staying in, I didn't pull on shoes, just a pair of Edward's thick wool sox. I heard laughter coming from the kitchen, and it made me smile. It was smile or cry hysterically with nerves, so I chose to smile.

I walked in and saw the gorgeous blonde with the stick straight hair sitting at the table, facing the kitchen entryway. Edward was leaning against the counter, casually sipping a beer, and there was a large man with sandy colored hair with his back to me. "Um, hi," I said, seeing all of them turn to look in my direction.

"Ahhhh! This is so great," Katie squealed and rushed across the kitchen, hugging me tightly. She was a few inches taller than me and God, the woman was beautiful. She appeared to be genuinely happy to meet me, so I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her back. Hell, Cullen was a hugger, so I had to assume it was a family trait and just get used to it.

"Katelyn, please don't crush my girlfriend," I heard Edward joke as he reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a beer for me.

"Shove it, Eddie. It's so great to meet you, Bella. You're just as beautiful as you are in your…oh, wait, I've got something for you." She walked back to her seat at the table and picked up a Marc Jacobs bag, dug inside and produced a thin card with a triumphant smile.

"Hi, I'm Garrett O'Shea. It's very nice to meet you. Kate hasn't shut up about you since you two first talked on the phone," the sandy-blonde man stated as he extended his hand to me. I shook it and felt Edward pull me to stand in front of him, offering me a beer.

I took it with a "thanks," and then took the card from Katie's hand. It was a fake ID with a picture of me that I'd never seen before. It was my information, just a change to my date of birth. "Um, thanks, but where'd you get the picture?" I asked curiously.

"Eddie took it with his phone and sent it to me. Now we can _all_ have fun tomorrow. Can we sit in the living room or has Emmett been sitting in there naked again?" Katie asked. I cracked up, as did Edward, and we grabbed our beers and went into the living room.

"Have you popped my brother's cherry yet?" Katie asked as she settled next to Garrett on the couch, causing Edward and I both to choke mid-drink.

"Katelyn Elizabeth, what did I tell you?" Edward chastised. We were sitting in the overstuffed chair in his living room, me half on top of him, and we were both actually wet…and not in the good way…from the spewed beer.

"Oh, come on, Your Holiness. I haven't seen you this relaxed and happy in years. Have you seen him this relaxed, Garrett?" she asked. The guy looked pretty fucking relaxed himself, and it didn't look entirely natural which led me to believe that maybe Garrett O'Shea was studying pharmaceuticals…_if ya know what I mean._

"Never," he commented as he took a sip of his Heineken.

I turned to Edward and saw him laughing. "Garrett, tell Bella what your major is," he suggested as he squeezed my thigh, clearly picking up on the fact that I'd noticed the guy was stoned.

"Chemistry," the guy responded. _Yeah, color me surprised._

Edward and Katie cracked up, which caused me to start laughing as well. Hell, life was full of surprises, and I was living in a world where every day was bringing new ones. It was a nice change of pace from what I'd been dealing with regarding Emmett, so I had no complaints.

##

I…was going…to die. Well, probably not literally…or at least I hoped not. The man had rocked my world again while I simultaneously rocked his. I was trying to catch my breath like I'd run the hundred-yard dash back in grade school at field day. Thankfully, I was on my back because when I ran that race in fourth grade, I fell down on the track and skinned my knees and hands.

After Edward had thrown his sister and her half-baked boyfriend out at 11:00 PM, he'd thrown me over his shoulder and carried me back to his room, closing and locking the door before he tossed me on the bed with me giggling the whole time. I might have been a little bit drunk.

He undressed us both faster than Superman could change in a phone booth, and proceeded to kneel over me and make me see the face of God.

He found out that I didn't have a gag reflex, and I found out that he had a very, very talented tongue which I attempted to tell him around the mouthful that I had…and I really mean my mouth was full.

We were both laying there panting on the bed, trying to catch our breath when we heard Emmett and Rosalie return. "How did I know that you didn't tell her you had a tattoo? She already knew it. I have no idea how, but she knew it, Emmy Bear," we both heard Rosalie tell my brother. Edward and I both started laughing quietly.

"_Emmy Bear_?" Edward whispered as he turned around and laid down next to me on the pillows, pulling the covers up over us.

"Yeah, I've yet to get to the bottom of that one, but you should hear all of the plans that she has for him. She told me he's going to sit for the LSATs this summer. Her _daddy_ is going to tutor him," I whispered as I snuggled into his side and felt his arm wrap around me, making me feel completely loved.

"You know, I looked her up after he started talking about her…not for me, so don't even fucking start…and her father is a fat cat litigator in New York. I don't doubt that he could get Em into any law school in the country," Edward informed me.

"God, Charlie and Renee are going to have kittens. What the hell are the high-brow Hales going to think of the Hoosier Swans? Hell, what are the high-brow Cullens going to think when you bring my sorry ass home?" I asked rhetorically. I didn't expect an answer…I was thinking out loud.

"First, this ass…which is mine along with everything that goes with it…is so far from sorry, I can't begin to scold you for disrespecting it. Keep referring to it like that and I'll spank it," he responded as he palmed said ass. I was glad he didn't hate it, but it wasn't exactly a literal reference I was making.

"You know what I mean. I've met your sister, and she's very classy. She's not a snob, but she just exudes class, Edward. I'm going to guess that she got that from your mother, and I'm so not _that_. How's your mom going to feel when you drag me home with you, and I come stumbling into their house in a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and a pair of Chucks? Not exactly designer wear," I pointed out.

"Bella, honey, my parents will love you for _you_, but they'll also love you because _I_ love you. They want me to be happy, and I finally am. We've got a lot of time to deal with everything, but I just want to enjoy the beginning of this, okay? I don't want to think too hard about the future…I just want to enjoy the present with you. This is the first serious relationship I've ever been in and I want to enjoy every aspect of it with you. It's also the last I ever plan to be in, so that makes things even more important to me.

I've never experienced the physical side of things that we're sharing, and I'm happy to say that you haven't either. Freud said '_our beds are crowded_', but with the two of us, it's not like that. When we climb into this bed or that horrible little twin in your dorm room, it's just you and me. We've never been with anyone else, and I'm happy about the fact that we're both willing to take things slow and get to know each other before we get to that place.

"I'm happy that we fell in love before we ever began a physical relationship because I believe it means more than what a lot of people have. I hope your parents see that in us, and I'm sure mine will. I love you, and you're it for me, as I've told you on more than one occasion," he whispered as he kissed my neck.

If he was bullshitting me, the man deserved a fucking Golden Globe because as I looked into his beautiful green eyes, he looked more sincere than anyone I'd ever met in my life. He appeared to believe it with his whole heart, which gave me the security to believe it with mine. We'd get through things together, and we'd come out stronger. That was the thought I had when I fell asleep in his arms that night. It was a wonderful feeling.

##

"Jesus, you people like to party," Katie called. We were on the quad at Stovers, and the Spring Fling was in full swing. There were food stands, lots of vendors of all kinds, and a lot of bands. I had no idea where anything was or what to expect, but Rosalie and Emmett knew all about it and were leading us around the grounds. I was having my first legal…illegal…beer, and since Emmett saw Katie, he'd mellowed out enough that I hadn't had to level my threat. We were actually having fun.

Suddenly, I was picked up around the waist and carried away before I knew what the hell was going on. "Bella Swan, where've you been hiding?" Jacob Black slurred as he carried me over to a beer truck, not giving a fucking thought to the fact that I'd been holding hands with my boyfriend. He didn't know that my wall of a brother was there as well, and obviously, he didn't know the grave danger he'd just put himself in.

"Put me down, you idiot," I demanded as he ordered us two beers and laughed at me. I could tell immediately that the guy was beyond trashed, and I'd guess he wasn't thinking clearly based on the way he was stumbling around. Apparently, someone had been over served early in the day.

"Now, you don't think I'm an idiot. You had the hots for me just a couple of weeks ago," he determined as he handed me a Coors Light that I didn't want. He certainly didn't need the one he was gulping down in front of me either.

"Um, actually, I told you that I wanted nothing to do with you, if I recall correctly," I got out before Edward showed up and took the beer from me, pouring it on the ground. Emmett and Jasper were standing right next to him, but I knew that it wasn't going to end without police.

"Who the fuck are you?" Emmett asked first. I could see the anger in his and Edward's eyes, and I looked around for anyone who could diffuse the situation.

"I'm the guy who's goin' home with Bella Swan tonight," Jacob announced arrogantly. I saw Edward lunge, and I was grateful that Jasper was as big as he was to hold him back.

"Really? I'd bet a whole bunch of money that you're wrong," Emmett replied. He was cool, calm and collected, and that was never good. That was a sign that he was about to beat the living daylights out of someone…I guessed it would be Jacob Black.

"Oh yeah? And what makes you the expert on what Bella wants? I think the woman wants me," Jacob replied drunkenly. I actually felt bad for him for a split second. He really was an attractive man, but I was pretty sure that when Emmett got through with him, his face would look like raw hamburger. It wouldn't matter that the poor guy was drunk off his ass either.

"Well, Cullen, you're lookin' to make a statement with regard to Bella. Let him go, Whit," Emmett announced. Jasper did, and all hell broke loose. Edward took him down with a sweep of his foot and proceeded to pummel the shit out of Jacob while people gathered around and watched, not one mother fucker stopping it.

"God, stop this," I called to deaf ears.

As predicted, the cops showed up. Edward's shirt was torn and his face was bloody, but Jacob Black looked more the worse for it. I looked at Emmett for any reason why he didn't break it up, and he only laughed. "He wanted to prove to me that he was worthy of you, so I gave him the chance to do it. Let's go to the bank. We're gonna have to bail his ass out," Emmett called.

"Don't worry, I've got it," Katie called with a proud smile on her face. Garrett was so fucking baked he didn't even know what had just happened.

Five long hours later, we were all back at Edward and Emmett's apartment. Everyone else was in the living room continuing to party while Edward and I were in the bathroom where I was cleaning him up. "That was really fucking stupid. You could have jeopardized your career, you know. He still might press charges," I bitched.

"Let him, the drunken asshole. He needs to learn that he can't go carrying off someone else's girlfriend, most importantly, not mine. That stupid fuck. If he comes near you again, you better tell…ow," he complained as I took the peroxide and cleaned up his cheek and mouth.

I wanted to pummel the shit out of Jacob Black myself, but I couldn't lie and say it wasn't incredible having a man fight for me. I'd fight for him, and to see that he'd fight for me was an unbelievable thing.

##

"Mom?" Emmett called as we rolled into the house. I was depressed because Edward was back at school, but he assured me that he'd get a jump on homework, and he made me promise that I'd let him know what time we were getting back on Sunday. The weekend of Katie's visit and the following week had been wonderful, and for once in my life, I was optimistic about everything which was totally unlike me.

"Up here," Mom called from upstairs. The spare room had been turned into her candle making room, and based on the smell of wax permeating the whole house I could tell that she was at it again. She made these soy candles, and one of the specialty shops in Bluefield stocked them. I hated them, but if it kept her occupied, hell I was all for it. An occupied Renee Swan wasn't meddling in _my_ business.

I looked at Emmett, and by the look on his face, I decided it was time to flip my card because I could tell the stupid fucking idiot hadn't told Mom or Dad that he was bringing home a girl. I knew it was going to be a tense weekend, so I dragged him out on the back porch, leaving poor Rosalie alone in the kitchen, and I handed him a manila envelope.

I cleared my throat. "Em, you know that I love you as your sister, but I swear on Satan's throne that if you mention one word about me and Edward, I'll give pictures far worse than this to Rosalie. Also, I have extra copies for Renee and Charlie," I threatened.

He opened the envelope and looked at it. It was one of Angela's that I had made damn sure I hadn't seen, but based on the gasp, I could tell it was pretty bad. Edward had picked it out and put it in the envelope for me, and I was truly in his debt because he'd bitched that he'd be seeing the image behind his eyeballs for the rest of his life.

"You didn't…" Emmett began.

"No. I didn't, _Ron Jeremy. _ It's my fucking school, and it's a photography seminar, you stupid clueless moron. Someone I know took those photos, but if you don't want your girlfriend to know how you make your money, you better keep your fucking mouth shut," I warned. I saw the swallow and knew I had made my point.

I didn't wait for his response as he stood on the porch tearing up the photo. I went inside to find Rosalie. "Sorry about that. I just had to make sure that Emmett wasn't going to throw me under the bus in order to deflect all of the attention he's going to get," I whispered.

"Oh, baby girl, I didn't know you were coming home with your brother. Who's your friend?" Mom asked. I saw it register on Rosalie's face that my mother had no idea who she was, and I prayed a prayer of thanks to the relationship gods that Edward had actually talked about me to his family. It looked like a pretty bad spot to be in from where I stood looking at Rosalie.

I'd decided to tell my parents that I was seeing 'someone' that weekend after all of the hoopla died down from Emmett's revelations. I'd probably shout it from the Jeep as we pulled away on Sunday morning, but I'd come clean about a little of it.

"Mom, this is Rosalie Hale. She's been very kind to me since I arrived at Stovers. She's the RA on my floor. Rosalie, this is my mom, Renee. Where's Dad?" I asked, having chosen my words carefully.

"Got called into work. He'll be home soon. Where's your brother?" Mom asked as she looked around.

"Um, he was taking a call on the porch," I offered. "Rose, why don't you go check on Emmett? I'll take our stuff to _my_ room," I announced to her. If she thought she was sharing Emmett's room in my parents' house, I needed to set her straight. Maybe she'd understand things a little better after a weekend at Chateau Swan.

Mom grabbed Rosalie's bag and accompanied me upstairs. "She's pretty. Um, I didn't expect that you'd bring a friend home. I just thought it would be Emmett. How's school? Have you met anyone?" Mom asked as she unzipped my bag. Thankfully, I'd done laundry at Edward's house and left my sexy lingerie there, at his insistence.

It was the perfect opening. "I've met a guy. It's new, but he's really great. I don't want to tell you too much about him because I'm not sure where it's going, so please don't badger me and don't tell Dad yet. It's far too soon for threats to be issued. You two get carried away," I answered, hoping I was getting through to her.

"Baby girl, if you like him, I'm sure I'll like him. I'm just happy you've met someone," Mom told me as we heard the front door open.

"Em…_whoa_, what the hell are you doing, and who's _this_," I heard Dad yell. Well, it was time for Rosalie Hale…New York blue blood…to meet Chief Charlie Swan…Indiana Hoosier. I was sure it wasn't going to go well, but the distraction kept Mom from asking anymore questions, so good luck to Emmett.

\\\

_**E/N: I'd love to hear from you. Next chapter picks up with more of the Swans.**_

_**Thank you for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Thank you so much for reading…reviewing…rec'ing…all of it! I truly appreciate every word I read from you.**_

_**Scorpio11 – Thank you for your continued assistance. You kick as at this beta stuff!**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended.**_

_**Time to meet the parents…**_

_**\\\**_

14. Meet the Parents

##

Mom and I raced downstairs to see Emmett with his hand under Rosalie's top, groping her boob right there in my mother's kitchen. My father looked pissed off, and I did my best to slip by him and get a front row seat.

"Pop, this is Bella's…" Emmett began when Rosalie popped him in the back of the head and pulled his hand out from under her top simultaneously.

"I'm Emmett's girlfriend, Rosalie. I attend Stovers with Bella," Rosalie introduced herself. She had a hell of a lot more guts than Emmett and I combined to just put that shit out there, and I was anxious to see how the whole thing sorted itself out.

"_GIRLFRIEND! _You led me to believe that she was your friend," Mom yelled, giving me the stink eye. I merely shrugged. I pulled out my phone to send Edward a text because I thought it would be too obvious if I shot video of it and posted it on You Tube for everyone to see.

_**FYI…the feces has officially hit the fan. I truly wish you could be here to witness it. It's going to be legendary. ILY – B xoxo**_

A minute later, just as my dad was shouting at Emmett that he needed to get his mind and hands off his girlfriend's chest and concentrate more on his studies so that he could keep his scholarship and have a shot at the NFL, my phone vibrated in my lap.

_**Is that the only reason you wish I was there? I wish you were here because I'd like to get you naked and kiss every inch of your body before I settle between…**_

I stopped reading and closed the text because I didn't want to combust and add to the chaos.

"He's getting B's, and he's finally declared. I'd think you'd be very happy about that," Rosalie admonished my father. It wasn't hard to see who wore the pants in her and Emmett's relationship. He was standing next to her at the sink with his fucking thumb in his mouth chewing his nail and not saying a word.

"Declared? Declared what…that he's not taking college or football seriously and will end up working for the goddamn _city_," Dad yelled.

"Excuse me, _Chief_ Swan, but you work for the _city,_ and I don't see anyone in this room who is ashamed of that, but Emmett's going to be a lawyer. He's coming with me to New York for the summer. He already has a job lined up, and he's going to take the law school admission test over the summer," Rosalie volunteered.

"_Law school?_ Any law school that would let Emmett Swan in must not be worth a shit," Charlie responded as I mouthed the words from where I sat at the table. I knew that would be the first thing out of his mouth, and by damn, I was right.

They'd been going on and on when, out of the clear blue, a dinner plate hit the floor, shattering against the slate tile. We all turned to see my mother fuming as she stood by the countertop, glaring at my father. I believe I actually saw him cower a little bit.

"Charles Emmett Swan, I refuse to stand here and listen to you berate our son and his choices. He's capable of more than just catching a goddamn football, and shame on you for not believing in him. When did you become _your_ father? He was a mean old bastard, and I'll be damned if you're not just like him," Mom accused.

"Renee, we've had this discussion too many times. Emmett's only motivation and chance at the good life is football. He earned a scholarship for it, and I don't wanna see him piss it away. Hell, you make candles and sell 'em in town so that you can send him spendin' money. We were on the same page here," Dad responded.

"Just because Emmett didn't do as well in high school with his grades doesn't mean he's a dumb jock. I'm not doing anything for him that I wouldn't do for Bella if I needed to. She's resourceful. She can take care of herself. We don't have to worry about her. Emmett's always needed extra help, and if this girl can give it to him, it's not your place to butt in," Mom snapped as she walked away without another word.

I whipped my head to look at my dad and saw a look on his face I'd never seen before in my life…fear. And, my mother, the mild-mannered, candle-making, flakey-as-hell woman to whom he'd been married for nearly twenty-three years had put it there. If my mother had that kind of power over my father, I was going to suck up to her because when it came time for me to bring Edward home, I most assuredly wanted her on my side.

##

"I told you to tell your parents that we were seeing each other but _oh, no,_ you knew better than me. '_They'll be happy that I have a girlfriend. I think they believe I'm gay, so when they meet you, they'll be pleasantly surprised. It's better to spring it on them, trust me'," _Rosalie mimicked Emmett's voice. I tried to keep from laughing, but that shit was funny. But it also reminded me that Emmett and I were both petrified of our parents, and hearing it from a third-party didn't really make me feel good about any of it.

Oh, and she didn't stop there, either. "After we drop Bella off at the apartment, we're going back to my room because we need to…" I heard before I put my earbuds in and turned on Edward's iPod that he'd given me before I'd left on Friday.

I'd only talked to Edward a few times over the weekend because it was tough to get away from the shouting of my family. I had, actually, laid the foundation that I wasn't going to be able to come back in two weeks for Easter because of a huge project, but they dropped a bomb on me that I wasn't expecting.

They'd decided that I would go to Muncie for the summer to help out Gran. While I wasn't upset with the helping Gran part, I was pissed about the rest of it. I told them I'd think about it, but they made it perfectly clear that I had no say in the matter. Edward was going to be in Chicago, and I was going to be in Muncie.

They told me I didn't need to get a job in Chicago when I'd told them that I had interviews lined up. Apparently, Gran had secured a job for me in Muncie at a book store, and I had no out. I was sick about it and stayed in my room, feigning cramps, and they left me alone. If I thought I was alone in Bluefield, it didn't compare to how alone I'd be in Muncie. That was going to fucking suck.

When we got back to Notre Dame, Edward was sitting outside their apartment building on the stairs, waiting for me with a huge smile on his face. Part of me wanted to jump up and down in glee while the other part of me wanted to cry in despair at the thought of not seeing him for three months. It was going to be pure torture.

Edward hopped down the stairs and jogged to the Jeep, opening the back door for me with a huge smile on his face. "Fuck, I'm glad you're home," he whispered in my ear as he picked me up and hugged me. Neither Emmett nor Rosalie stopped fighting as Edward pulled my duffel and book bag from the Jeep and slammed the door, leading me inside.

"Wow, they are _really_ going at it. Was it like that the whole ride?" he asked as he led me upstairs and unlocked his apartment door. I walked inside and hung my coat in the small coat closet, following him into the kitchen. It was just after noon, and I was starving because we hadn't stopped for food on the way, and I'd only had an orange for breakfast because Emmett was in a hurry to get the hell out of Dodge.

Rosalie actually slept in his room, and he'd slept on the couch while we were home. I believe he'd tried to slip into bed with her one night because I heard a squeak from his room, and then a loud slap, followed by the door closing. That morning when he got up, Emmett wouldn't look any of us in the eye and every time Rosalie walked by him, he flinched. Man, he was in for a rough ride if things between the two of them worked out.

"It was like that the whole fucking weekend. I stayed in my room as much as possible, and I actually got all my homework done. You see, Cullen, in most families, when people are pissed off at each other, they don't speak. Of course, there are the exceptions to the rule and that would be the Swans. We yell at each other until we're hoarse," I explained. I was pretty sure that his family was in the 'silent' majority, so to speak.

"Oh. Well, I guess that'll be an adjustment I'll have to make if we ever fight. People in my family don't fight, we _discuss_," he answered, not surprisingly.

"Who wears the pants in the family?" I asked as I pulled out stuff to make a sandwich before my stomach began growling embarrassingly.

"The pants are shared equally by my parents. They back each other up in everything, as far as I know," he answered as he pulled out plates and chips.

"So they're both in favor of you going to London?" I asked.

"Actually, when it comes to my and Katie's career choices, they chose to divide and conquer. Mom pushed Katie into design school so that she can go to work with Mom, and Dad pushed me into pre-med. We hashed it out at Christmas that I didn't want to go, and London was the compromise," he explained.

"Well, now, that doesn't really bode well for me, does it? I mean, if one of them hates me, then they'll both hate me," I surmised as I sat down at the table with a ham and cheese sandwich.

He sat down across from me and took a sip from his soda. "Babe, I've told you, they're going to love you. I've got to worry about _your_ parents. I'd guess that if they weren't happy about Rosalie dating their son, them finding out that Daddy's little girl is dating _me_ is going to go over like a lead balloon," he suggested. _Well, he had a point_.

"Do your parents like The Scientist?" I asked. I'd started calling Garrett that after being around him the weekend before. I'd seen him and Katie smoking more than one joint, and I was pretty sure that neither of them was suffering from Alzheimer's or undergoing chemo.

"They don't even know she's still seeing him. My dick will be in a ringer if they find out that he was here with her last weekend. You, my love, are nothing like Garrett. Don't start worrying about it, because it's not going to be an issue. They're excited to meet you at Easter, and you'll see that I'm right. Now, hurry up and eat because I'm tired," he announced.

I cocked an eyebrow at him because I had no idea why he should be tired unless he'd gone out while I was in Bluefield. I knew I'd gotten sleep over the weekend. "Did you go out over the weekend?" I asked.

He chuckled. "No, I didn't, and I'm not _that_ kind of tired," he responded, winking at me.

"Then why…Ohhh! Yeah, I'm kind of tired myself," I joked. Naked and panting sounded like a good way to spend a Sunday with the handsome, horny boy whom I loved.

Every time he went down on me, he brought a little something new to my table. This time I was standing against the wall in his bedroom and he was on his knees in front of me with my left leg over his shoulder. His tongue, or E.T., as I refer to Edward's Tongue and not the beloved alien who had an affinity for phoning his home darted in and out of my throbbing pussy. He then curled his lips around his teeth and gently bit my clit while his fingers massaged a place inside me that I'd come to lovingly call my E-Spot because it was a spot that Edward, my sexual Magellan, had found without any direction from me whatsoever. I determined that I needed to do a little research so that I could offer him something new in return.

##

"God, I think I'm going to puke," I lamented as we pulled down North Ridgeland Avenue in suburban Oak Park on our way to Edward's parents' house. The street looked very "Leave It to Beaver" to me, and when we pulled into the driveway of the huge three-story Victorian, I wasn't surprised by it in the least.

"Please don't puke in my car, sweetheart. You have no reason to be nervous," he laughed. If he didn't see the potential problems, he was mentally deranged.

He parked beside the garage and turned off the car. "Do _not_ get so upset about this. I've been talking about you for years, and my parents are going to try to embarrass the shit out of me. They're nice people, love. Please just give them a chance," he pleaded. I took a deep breath and nodded.

He got out of the car and made his way to the back, grabbing our bags. I hopped out and took off my jacket because it was a nice warm day in early April, and I went to grab the garment bag that Alice had loaned me. I had more clothes than I'd ever packed for anything, both Alice and Rosalie suggesting that I cover my bases, and I believed I had something appropriate for whatever was thrown at me. How I'd fake my way through the visit, however, was the great unknown.

I still hadn't told Edward that I had to go to Muncie for the summer. I didn't want to fight with him before we went to see his parents, or so I justified to myself, and I kept my mouth shut, threatening Emmett that if he told Edward, I'd tell Dad about the "Rosie Scales of Justice" tattoo that was somewhere on his body that I didn't want to contemplate.

I'd sent off my pictures to Irina Dubrovnik and was waiting for any word from her, but I wasn't really feeling very optimistic about anything.

Rosalie and Emmett were a work-in-progress from what I could understand, and I'd been corresponding with Edward's sister regularly. We were getting closer, and I was truly happy about it. She'd also assured me that her parents would love me, and I hoped the hope of the damned that they were both right.

Edward let us into the house through the backdoor, and I braced myself for what I was certain I was going to see. When I walked into the sunroom off the back of the house, I was met with lots of beautiful furnishings, wicker furniture, and bright, sunny colors. It was exactly as I expected.

We walked into the kitchen, and it was like something out of a magazine…well, if I read those types of magazines. Stainless, state-of-the-art appliances…granite countertops…white-washed cabinets…it was all beautiful.

"I guess nobody's home yet. Come on, I'll show you to the room next to mine. Mom and Dad should be home soon, and I suppose Katie will be around at some point in time. Don't be intimidated by all of this, please. My mother's an interior designer, and my dad's a surgeon, so it is what it is, but please don't panic on me," he pled as he led me down the hallway of the second floor to a beautiful bedroom in shades of cream and rose. It was actually breathtaking. He dropped my bags on the bed and pulled me into his arms.

"Don't get too comfortable in here…this is merely a place for you to change. You're sleeping with me," he ordered. I was pretty sure _that_ wasn't going to happen, but I wanted to change before his parents got home, so I decided not to argue. Bedtime would be soon enough to have the fight.

"We'll see. Now, can I have some time to shower and change? I'd like to at least make a good first impression," I asked. Alice had trimmed my hair the night before, and she and Rosalie had coached me on the outfits and the accessories. The outside of me would look like I fit in with the toney Cullen family of Oak Park, Illinois. The inside…there was no way to hide that, so I'd determined I'd keep my mouth shut as much as possible so as not to embarrass myself.

"You look good to me," Edward moaned against my neck as his hand moved up my ribcage toward my left breast. I felt his thumb sweep over my nipple through my bra, and for a moment, I forgot where we were. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sucked his right earlobe between my lips, giving it a light flick with my tongue.

"Fuck. Why didn't you stay last night? I'd have picked you up after Alice cut your hair," he groaned as he made his way to my lips, grinding his erection into my stomach. We hadn't done the actual _deed _yet, and I was running out of patience.

I'd already decided that, unless the weekend was so horrifically bad that we broke up, we were going to finally take that step on Monday night. I couldn't take it any longer, and I wanted to be able to have a lot of memories to draw upon when I was withering away in Muncie with my grandmother for the summer.

"I know, but I had stuff to _dooooo_," I moaned as he reached for the button on my jeans. _Hell, I was taking them off anyway…_

Just as we were about to begin pitching our clothes into the air, we heard a car door slam. He pulled away. "Great fucking timing. Okay, do whatever it is you think you need to do and then come downstairs. I'm going to go put a handful of ice down my pants to calm my poor dick because right now, he's really pissed at me for stopping," he teased. I pecked him on the lips.

"I'll make it up to him, I swear," I called as I went to my bag and began pulling everything out. I heard a man humming downstairs and quickly deduced that Edward's father was home.

"I'm holding you to it," Edward vowed as he left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. I quickly stripped and went into the shared bathroom, pulling a pocket door closed on his side and locking it.

I walked to the shower and turned it on, adjusting the temperature and quickly climbing in and washing everything, re-shaving everything, and trying as hard as possible not to throw up the hamburger I'd eaten when we stopped on our way to Oak Park.

Once I was satisfied that everything was groomed to near-perfection, I climbed out of the large shower and quickly towel dried my hair. I went to my bags and pulled out what Rosalie recommended I wear for a Friday night dinner at home with Edward's parents, deciding that she knew better than me. It was a dove gray cotton skirt with a navy blue sweater set. There was a set of pearls that I was guarding with my life, and light gray suede flats with matching tights.

After I styled my hair in loose waves and secured a grey headband to hold it off my face, I got dressed and put on a bit of make-up just as Rosalie had taught me. When I was finished, I almost didn't recognize myself. I certainly looked the part of a junior socialite, and if the cliché was true, I was dressing for the job that I wanted…to fit into Edward Cullen's world as best I could.

Just as I was about to go downstairs, Katie came rushing up and pulled me into a hug. "You look lovely. I'm so glad you're here. We'll go to Rush Street tomorrow night and party it up. Mom and Dad are really looking forward to meeting you," Katie gushed as she took my hand and dragged me down the hall to her room.

"Do I look okay?" I asked nervously. She looked at me and had a strange look on her face.

"Well, yeah. You look great. If that's how you're used to dressing, you look great," she responded. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a cute tunic with her hair in a braid at the side of her head. _She_ looked incredible. I was sure I looked like a scared spinster.

"How's Garrett?" I asked quietly in case her parents' walked by. I certainly didn't want to cause my only ally…besides my boyfriend…any trouble. I'd need her on my side if the parents found me unacceptable…or at least I'd need a ride to the nearest bus stop to go curl up in a ball and die somewhere.

"He's great. I'm going to see him later. I'll get a call from my girlfriend Tanya around 9:00, and I'll be taking off because she's having family issues, and I'll be back by noon tomorrow. You and I can go shopping or something. Is my brother behaving himself?" she asked as she kicked off her heels and unbuttoned her jeans, clearly getting ready to change for the evening.

"He's absolutely…" I began before I heard, "Bella! Come down," from the man himself. Katie laughed, and told me she'd be down in a minute, and I left the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

I slowly descended the stairs, trying to steady my breathing because I was about ready to fucking pass out. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was shocked when Edward jumped out and grabbed me, picking me up and carrying me into the kitchen. He gave me a smacking kiss on the lips and gently put me on my feet.

"Mom, Dad, this is my Bella. Bella, this is my mother, Esme, and my father, Carlisle," Edward introduced me to the two people sorting mail as they stood at a huge center island with a built-in cooktop. When my jaw hit the floor, you could have heard a leaf fall from a tree.

To say that Esme and Carlisle Cullen were attractive people would be like saying that Niagara Falls was a nice little creek or the White House was just a _white house_. They were a stunningly handsome couple, though I wouldn't have doubted it because I'd seen a picture of them and hell, I'd seen their offspring who were both absolutely gorgeous.

What I wasn't exactly prepared for was the fact that they were absolutely nothing like I expected. Carlisle Cullen, MD, was a renowned surgeon…I'd looked it up…and as he stood before me, he looked like perhaps he was a medic left over from Vietnam. His hair was a darker blonde than Katie's, but it was longer than I expected and pulled back in a ponytail. He had a goatee which surprised me because he didn't have one in the picture I'd seen, and he was wearing gold, wire-rimmed glasses and had an earring in his left ear. He was wearing a black scrub top that was adorned with peace signs in every color one could imagine, and a pair of jeans with a frayed hem. Not what I was expecting at all.

Esme Cullen, much sought after interior designer, was dressed in a tie-dyed t-shirt and white cargo pants, both splattered with paint. Her beautiful auburn hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she had gold paint on her cheek. I looked at her and I looked at Edward, and I was at a loss of what to say.

Thankfully, Esme spoke first. "Now, aren't you lovely? It's so great to meet you, finally. Please excuse my appearance…I was finishing up a job today. I hoped I'd get home before you two arrived, but things ran long. I'd hug you, but I don't want to get paint on your pretty outfit," she remarked as she stuck her hand out. I shook it, noticing that she didn't have a perfect manicure as I'd expected, and when I pulled back, I searched my poor addled brain for any words that would come out.

"It…um…it's very nice to meet you," I replied quietly.

Carlisle, however, had no compunction about walking around the island and giving me a hug. "It's really good to meet you. Edward's been going on about you for years. How was the drive?" he asked as he pulled away, squeezing my biceps affectionately.

"I'm very ha-happy…to-to meet you as well," I stammered out. I felt Edward's arm around my waist and a kiss to my temple which put me at ease…a little.

"Babe, this is nice. Is this _yours_?" Edward asked with a puzzled look on his face and then a knowing smirk. He fucking knew that I'd completely misjudged his family, and he thought it was funny. I'd squeeze his dick off later.

"Edward, stop. She looks perfectly lovely. I'm going to go shower and change, and then I'll get dinner going. I hope you don't mind if we just grill out tonight? I've got to get a lot of shit ready for Sunday, so tomorrow I'll be busy, but Katie said that the two of you were going to go shopping or something?" Esme asked.

"Nope. I'm taking Bella sightseeing tomorrow because we're leaving right after Brunch on Sunday," Edward announced.

"Oh, really? Big project?" Carlisle teased as he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine and two beers. Edward didn't answer him.

"Bella, beer or wine?" he asked.

"Um, I wouldn't mind a glass of wine," I responded before thinking. Then, I worried that he might card me, but I quickly remembered the fake ID that Edward made sure I'd brought with me.

Without question, he opened the bottle and poured two glasses, carrying one to me and a beer to Edward. "Okay, I'm going to go shower. I'll be back. Please, make yourself at home, Bella," Carlisle called as he grabbed the other glass of wine and the beer and left the kitchen. We heard him on the stairs, and I turned to see Edward cringing.

"Wait, are they gonna…are they gonna, you know?" I asked trying to hide the shock in my voice.

"Shower together…yeah, probably. Look, I can tell by the way you're dressed, that you expected some uptight society couple. That's not my parents at all. They would have been hippies if they'd been born a decade earlier, but they still embrace the free-love lifestyle. When they have to go to functions, my mom pulls out the pearls and my dad takes out the earring, but the rest of the time, this is them. Hell, I'm the most uptight person in my family. My mom grows pot out behind the garage mixed in with her marigolds or whatever the fuck those flowers are. It's a little embarrassing, knowing how conservative your family is, and that's why I didn't mention it to you. But, that's why I knew they'd love you," he informed me.

I lifted my glass of wine and took a healthy gulp, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand just as Katie came into the kitchen in a pair of cut-off sweat pants and a holey t-shirt with the Union Jack on it. "So, scandalized yet?" she asked as she pulled out a glass from the cabinet and poured herself some wine, refilling mine in the process.

"Bella thought that Mom and Dad would be all country club chic. I think she's just a little bit in shock," Edward chuckled.

Katie looked at him and then looked at me, and she began laughing hysterically. When she finally pulled herself together…just seconds before I put her in a fucking headlock…she put her hands on my shoulders and kissed my cheek. "That explains the outfit. It's very 'Biff and Mitsy,' but it's not us at all, Bella…well, actually, Eddie could fall into that lifestyle. Go put on something comfortable, and please tell me that you eat meat. Mom and Dad eat fucking tofu, and we both hate it. I'd really like a hamburger tonight, and if you're a carnivore like us, then we won't have to compromise for veggie burgers," Kate asked.

"So, your Mom smokes pot but she doesn't like Garrett?" I whispered to the two of them.

Edward laughed. "It's not exactly like that. Mom had breast cancer about five years ago. Dad scored her some pot to help with the chemo, and she bakes it in brownies every once in a while. The rest of it, she gives to women whom she knows are going through the same thing she went through. My parents don't smoke on a regular basis, as far as I've ever known.

"The reason they don't like Garrett is because they don't see that he has any ambition. They might be laid-back hippies at heart, but they both have incredible drive, which is why they want me to go to Oxford for grad school and Katie's at Columbia. The reason they'll love you is because you're just as driven in your career pursuit as anyone I've ever known. Now, go change into something comfortable, and prepare yourself to deal with my parents ramblings about Tibet and Somalia and their involvement with Amnesty International," Edward advised.

"You know, one of you two could have told me this. I thought…fuck what I thought. I'll be back," I called as I went upstairs to change into a pair of yoga pants and a matching hoodie. I was pleasantly surprised by Esme and Carlisle Cullen, and I looked forward to getting to know them.

##

"That's brilliant!" Carlisle shouted as we all sat around the fire pit in their backyard, having finished dinner earlier and enjoying the warm evening. I was on a lounge chair between Edward's legs with my back resting against his chest, and Esme and Carlisle were in another lounger, mirroring our position. Katie had received a call from a distraught girlfriend and was upstairs packing a bag to go "eat ice cream and drink shots of tequila" at Tanya's house.

Edward had just told Carlisle and Esme my diabolical plan to keep my brother in line with regard to our relationship, and they'd both laughed heartily.

"Yeah, my girlfriend is Dr. Evil. I have to stay on her good side so she doesn't pull some of that shit on me," Edward teased as he put his hands under my hoodie on my bare stomach.

Esme was dressed in a flowing skirt and a tank top with a cardigan over it, and Carlisle was in some sort of lounge pants and a Rolling Stones t-shirt…the one with the tongue. I was completely in shock at it all, but I was more at ease than I thought I'd ever be having only met them three hours earlier.

"So, Bella, I hope you know that if you decide to come to Chicago and work for Carlisle, you can definitely stay with us. God knows, we have the room," Esme offered as she took a sip from her brandy. I'd switched to beer after three glasses of wine, and I was nursing my second one.

I stiffened at her kindness, and I felt Edward's hands still on my bare skin. "What?" he asked as he turned me a little to look into my eyes. Fuck, if he was looking into my eyes, I'd never be able to play it off.

"Um, my mom and dad are sending me to Muncie to help Gran out for the summer. She's already got a job lined up for me," I confessed quietly. I felt him tense behind me, and I could see the look of anger on his face.

"Well, I believe we're going to turn in. Bella, we're glad you're here. We'll see you kids in the morning," Carlisle called as he helped Esme up and then got up himself. She kissed us both on the cheek, and Carlisle squeezed Edward's shoulder tightly before they went into the house and closed the door.

"Muncie? _Seriously_? How fucking long have you known about this, and when in the hell were you going to tell _me_?" Edward snapped. I'd known it wouldn't be good, but I didn't know it would be_ that_ bad.

"I found out two weeks ago but I didn't want to have _this_ fight before we came here for me to meet your parents, okay? I had no idea what I was looking at with regard to meeting your parents, and you weren't very forthcoming about them either. I was going to tell you next week. Look, it's only three months, Edward. Maybe you can come down to…" I started.

He hopped up from behind me and began pacing the yard with his hands on his hips. I wondered if I should go inside and see if Esme had any of those 'special' brownies on hand. The man needed to mellow out before I picked up a piece of firewood and clocked him with it.

"Muncie? I doubt that your grandmother would be any happier to see me than your parents…who you won't even _tell_ about me. God, you're an _adult_, Bella. It's time to stand up to your parents and let them know that you have your own life," he barked at me.

_Oh, them there was fightin' words._ I hopped up off the lounger and squared on him. "Just like you are with regard to going to London? Yeah, hello pot," I barked back.

"You and Emmett are so fucking scared of your parents. It's time to grow up, goddammit," he yelled.

"I'm nineteen fucking years old, and my parents are helping me with my tuition, okay? I can't lay down the law to them. What happened to the discussions that you Cullens are so famous for," I responded.

He ignored my jab with regard to his tantrum. "Your tuition is the problem? Fine, I'll pay your goddamn tuition," he snapped. I stopped pacing and looked at him. I knew my mouth was open, and I was grateful it wasn't summer because flies would have been circling.

"That's fucking ridiculous. We've been together for a month. A fucking month, Edward. It's three months, and if we can't survive being apart for three months, then what the hell are we even doing together? It's immature to believe that we can't be apart for three months and survive. We can e-mail and call each other, and there's nothing to say that I can't take a bus up here to visit for a few days. I know it's not ideal, but I'm a freshman in college and you're a junior. It's far too soon for us to start getting so serious about each other that we can't be apart," I reasoned.

He stopped pacing and stared at me looking as shocked as if I'd slapped him. "If that's how you feel, then maybe you're right. Maybe we have no business in a relationship together. Maybe _you're_ just having a fling, Bella, but I'm completely serious about us. If you're not, then…" he ranted.

I quickly ran over to him to stop him before he said something that he couldn't take back. I put my hands on both sides of his face and forced him to look in my eyes. "Stop right now before we hurt each other, okay? I love you, and you know that. Please, please, don't give up on us before we really get a good start. We knew it wouldn't be easy, and I promise you I'll tell my parents about us, but after what Emmett went through, you have to understand that I'm not in a hurry to rock the boat right now," I clarified.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he looked into mine and placed his hands on top of mine. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. It's just that I'm…I hate…fuck, Bella, I've never felt this way about anyone, and clearly, I'm not good at balancing the time I get with you and the time we're apart. I'll work on it, okay?" he asked.

"Sweetheart, I'm not having a fling, okay? I've never had a fling in my life, so I wouldn't know how to. I'm committed to this. I love you, and I know we've fallen pretty quickly, but we need to be able to still live our lives, right? I know it's going to be awful being apart, but if you think about it, you'll be working all day, and you'll be here with your parents and Kate at night and on weekends. It'll go by like a flash," I lied. It would drag on like enduring a root canal without Novocain.

He didn't say anything. He just took my hand and led me upstairs to his room for bed. Nothing happened sexually that night…nor the next night…nor Sunday night when we were back in Indiana. Something had snapped between us, and I didn't know what it was, but I knew it wasn't good. I felt in my fucking soul it wasn't good.

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_**E/N: Thanks for reading!**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! I truly enjoy your speculation regarding the direction you think the story is going. Well, sit back, relax, and get ready for your answer.**_

_**Scorpio11 – Thanks, doll!**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended.**_

_**\\\**_

15. Push Me…Pull You

##

"I have to tell you, these are fantastic, Bella. I like the _Eternity_ photos with the older couple that we originally agreed upon for the exhibition, but I like the _Peace_ photos better for it. Now, that being said, _these_ are really different than what anyone else is submitting. I'd say we submit them as an anonymous student," Professor Banner, my advisor, suggested. They were the pictures of my brother that I'd allowed Angela to brow beat me into showing him.

If I submitted them for the exhibit, Rosalie would know it was him and his secret would be out. I wasn't exactly ready to subject my brother to that kind of trouble, so I was torn.

"I worry about them because of the subject matter. I don't know that the model expected that they'd be submitted for this particular exhibit," I reasoned without telling him that it was my brother. Fuck, the last thing I wanted to do was for anyone to find out that I'd been behind the lens when they were taken.

"He signed up for it, got paid for it, and had to know there was a chance that these photos would be entered in _some_ show. All of the models are told that there's a chance of the photos being exhibited somewhere. These pictures could get you the Kessler, Bella," he suggested. I looked at him in disbelief because the Kessler was exactly what I wanted.

"I thought I needed to have several more juried shows before I could even qualify," I stated.

"You can enter these photos in several shows. I've got a list of the juried shows that are coming up, and I'll write you a recommendation as well. It's up to you if you want to pursue it. If you do, can I recommend that you take extra prerequisites next semester free up your schedule to take more of the technical classes for your major? These photos are fantastic on an aesthetic level. Technically, they could be a bit sharper, but that's something that you'll learn over time," he suggested.

"Thank you, Professor Banner. I'll give it some consideration," I responded. It was the beginning of May. There were only two weeks left of school, and I was afraid that time was running out on my relationship. Thinking about the fall semester in that moment was the furthest thing from my mind.

Edward and I still hadn't actually taken that next step, and I could tell it was because he was pulling back. We still saw each other, but he made up a lot of excuses for me _not_ to stay at his place. I tried to play it off that it was okay because I was busy, but it wasn't fucking okay at all.

He continued to assure me that he was committed to our relationship, but we hadn't been naked together anywhere since before I went to Chicago to meet his parents. I believed that our relationship had actually run its sky-rocket course, and I was bracing myself for its demise.

I walked slowly across the campus to my dorm contemplating everything that had happened. I'd talked to my parents for a few minutes since I'd been back to visit, and I still hadn't told them about Edward because, in all honesty, if we weren't going to work, why the hell would I want to weather the shit storm that would come with my revelation of having a boyfriend. Hell, at that point, I wasn't even sure I could call him my boyfriend any longer.

As I approached Blaire House, I saw Edward pacing back and forth with his beautiful, long fingers steepled under his nose. He appeared to be talking to himself, and I was actually surprised. It was a Thursday afternoon, and I hadn't heard from him since Tuesday when we went to get dinner together, after which he gave me a kiss on the forehead as a good-bye. I was still pissed about it.

"Cullen? What brings you to Blaire House on a sunny Thursday afternoon in May when you should be studying for finals," I called as I walked up the stairs to stand before him.

He whipped his head up and looked at me. "I'm glad you're here. We need to talk," he announced. _Like I didn't fucking know that. _

I let us into the building and over to the elevator. We boarded, and he kept his distance, which led me to believe that it was the official break-up. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I supposed that it was just par for the fucking course as far as things went in my life.

To be so close to everything I wanted and have it disappear like that…or taken from me, actually… was hell. I guess I should be grateful that he had the balls to do it in person instead of in a text or over voicemail like a lot of guys.

When the doors opened to my floor, we got off, and I pulled out my keys to open the door. I was happy there was no sign of a sock and no answer when I quickly pecked on the door before opening it. I certainly didn't need any witnesses to the little scene that I was sure was about to play out.

Once we were inside and the door was closed, he turned to me and crossed his arms over his chest. I kicked off my Chucks and sat down on the bed. He'd called the meeting, and I was waiting for him to open the wounds that I was certain I'd be nursing for the rest of my fucking life.

"I'm not happy," he announced like it was a mother-fucking state secret. It wasn't. I'd been able to tell it for a month.

"No shit, Sherlock," I called as I crossed my legs and stared at him. I was trying to memorize everything about him because when he walked out that room, and I curled into the fetal position, I wanted to be sure I had a clear picture of him to remember for the rest of my unloved, lonely life.

"You're not happy either," he responded. _Again, not something I didn't know._

"And…" I coaxed, praying he'd just gut me like a carp and be done with it. A long, protracted post mortem on our relationship wasn't at all what I wanted. Quick and dirty. I hadn't had the quick and dirty sex that I'd wanted, but a quick and dirty break-up seemed appropriate, considering how quickly we'd stumbled through our relationship in the first place.

He turned to look at me, quickly glancing to my left wrist where the bracelet had never left, and he actually smiled. "Are you done? Are you done with us?" he asked quickly. _Fuck and no._

"Why would you ask that? _You're_ the one who's pulled away, not me. I still love you, and I've only tried to give you space, okay? If you're done, then just fucking say it, okay? Don't twist the knife any more than you already fucking have," I replied calmly. I wasn't going to make a production or a fucking scene…if he was out, then I'd wish him well and hang myself from one of Alice's weird fabric wall hangings when he left.

"Twist the…_what_? I've been trying to give _you_ space. You seemed to want it after…fuck that. Pack all your shit, and let's go," he ordered as he stood with his hands on his hips steeling his gorgeous green eyes on me.

"Huh?" I intelligently responded. _How I wasn't a Rhodes Scholar was lost on me with such astute observations._

"I said, pack your stuff. You're moving in with me, and you can leave your things at the apartment for the summer. I'm not letting go of you, Bella. I love you. We're not done. We'll figure this summer shit out, but I've come to realize what I always knew in my heart…I can't be away from you, so it's just the smart thing for you to move in with me. I've got space in the storage locker for things that you don't want to take to Muncie, and I'm keeping the apartment for the summer so you don't have to worry about your stuff. Will you?" the beautiful, apparently bi-polar, man asked hopefully.

He looked so fucking adorable that all I could say was a quiet "okay." He pulled me from the bed and kissed me like he'd kissed me many times before, but I'd missed it of late. It was perfect.

Three hours later, his Volvo was loaded with my shit, and I was hugging Alice and Rosalie. "I'll still be around for the next two weeks, okay," I assured as we stood at the curb. Jasper had helped Edward carry everything down to the car, and I hugged him in thanks. I couldn't imagine what Emmett would make of me moving in with him and Edward, but I didn't fucking care. I was going _home_.

We pulled up to the curb of the apartment building to find Emmett sitting on the steps where I'd seen Edward waiting for me many times before. "Shit," I whispered.

"I sent him a text and _told_ him what we were doing. He'll be fine," Edward assured as he squeezed my hand.

Emmett bounded down the stairs with a huge grin on his face as he ripped open my door and pulled me out from the car. "So, I'm about to be famous?" he asked. I laughed because apparently, Rosalie had already told him about the show as I'd related it to her while she helped me pack my things. I shouldn't have been surprised that the ass would gloat. It was his way.

"From my photos, no one except maybe Mom, Dad, or Rose would be able to tell it's you. I'm sorry to have blown your cover with her, but she kinda saw them when she was helping me pack up," I apologized.

When she'd picked up my portfolio and opened it, I'd been so preoccupied with packing my underwear that I hadn't even noticed. Her gasp when she saw the photos of Emmett brought a garbled explanation from me so as to head off a fight between her and my brother, especially considering that I was going to be living in the same apartment as him. She was actually cool with it once I finished my explanation, and then she laughed when I begged her not to be pissed at Emmett about it.

Emmett laughed. "I'd already told her. If you were going to start sending her inappropriate pictures of me, I needed to get ahead of that shit. She could hurt a guy quicker than Cullen beat that asshole up at the Spring Fling," he joked as he went to the back of the car and helped us unload my shit.

I only took my clothes upstairs. The rest of it…my beloved photographs…I left in the box and put in the storage room in the basement of their building. I held out hope that things would be fine after the summer, but I wanted to be ready to move out if they weren't.

After we finished unloading the car, I treated them to pizza from _Antonio_'_s_. It was their favorite place, and well, I was trying to make a good impression on my new roommates. Emmett and I swapped stories about growing up together, and I grilled him on why he didn't ever tell me about the Cullens.

"I didn't want to ruin it for you. They're so fucking cool, and I didn't think you'd believe me if I told you anyway, based on _that_ pansy. Esme makes the best brownies," he joked. We all laughed at his comment, and then Emmett went to his room as Edward and I cleaned up the mess from dinner.

Ten minutes later, Emmett returned and stood in the kitchen with a paper bag in his hand. "Okay, house rules…no sex in the common rooms. No loud sounds. No groping when I'm in the room, and last but not least, Bells, you're cooking at least one night a week," he demanded.

Edward was laughing as he bagged up the trash to take it to the chute. "Fine," I began. I had my own list of demands. "No sex in the common rooms goes both ways, and you sitting on the couch naked is over. No loud sounds from your room and _you _take out the trash. I'm not cleaning up after your ass," I demanded.

"Fine," Emmett replied. He turned and walked to the door and then stopped. "Bells, I'm actually glad you're here. He's been a miserable pussy since you guys got back from Easter." With that, Emmett was out the door, trash bag in one hand and paper bag in the other. I was stunned silent, but I was glad it had gone that well. Maybe things could be better between the two of us? I fucking hoped so.

Edward turned to me and smiled. "So, Miss Swan. Would you like to…um, what would you like to do?" he asked nervously. I had only one thing on my mind. I went to one of my larger boxes and pulled out a smaller box, handing to him. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline at my bold behavior, but fuck if it wasn't time.

"I want to have sex, and I don't just mean once. I want to have sex as often as we can for the next two weeks because it's going to be a three-month dry spell after that," I announced.

He looked at the box and laughed. "Extra-large? You think?" he asked. What the fuck did I know? I'd bought them a month before when things were good between us and I thought I had a shot at getting him into bed. I had no idea that we'd both behave like immature idiots for the month of April.

"You don't?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow. He _had_ to know he was hung. I'd only seen pictures of other guys, but come the fuck on…he had a _lot_ to offer a girl, and I wanted it all. Thankfully, I'd started my birth control pills after the humiliating visit to Student Health and the exam, but I had a month to worry about them, so I wasn't taking any fucking chances…Jenny Rand's life kept flashing before my eyes. Eventually, I'd want kids, just not in nine months.

He didn't respond to my tease. He picked me up from the floor and walked me back to his…our…room, skirting around the boxes. He tossed the condoms on the bed and carried me into the bathroom, setting me on the vanity counter. "Shower?" he asked.

Without a word, I pulled off my t-shirt and unclasped my bra, tossing it at his head. He laughed and stripped off his own shirt, pulling my naked chest to his, and kissing me quite passionately. It was a lover's kiss, I was certain, and I enjoyed it with everything inside me.

We stripped off the rest of our clothes and took a quick shower which consisted of him continuing to move my hand away from his hard cock with a "if you really want to do _it_, you've got to stop _that_." I saw it as a first strike, but apparently, he didn't.

When we made it to the bed, both of us in towels, my head crashed into the fucking box of condoms causing a loud "ow" from me. He reached behind my head and pulled it out, laughing. "Hey, you chose the extra-large," he joked.

"Oh, do you think the mediums would work? Maybe I romanticized the size of him because I haven't seen him in a while," I teased back.

Edward laughed as he pulled my towel away and kissed across my chest leaving a trail of fire. "I believe that wrestling match we just had in the shower completely negates your claim. Are you sure you're ready?" he asked.

"I've been ready for a long time. You've been the simpering girl in this relationship, remember," I teased. He chuckled and pulled off his towel, kissing me gently.

After we tugged the covers off the bed, and I fell into the wonderfully soft sheets, I pulled him on top of me feeling his hard cock graze where I was dying for him to be and feeling him suck in a deep breath. He reached into the nightstand and pulled out a silver foil wrapped condom, ripping it with his teeth.

"Wait, you already have…have you already…?" I asked. If he had an open box of them, then he'd been using them, and I needed to know with whom. As far as I was concerned we were still exclusive.

"Where'd that come from?" I asked as he moved to his knees to put on the condom.

"I bought some, too. I wanted to be prepared as well. The fucking foil is hard enough to get open when you're in a hurry. I didn't want to be fighting with the goddamn cellophane, too," he answered as he kissed my stomach.

"So you haven't?" I asked.

"_Haven't wha…_? Fuck no. I…you're mine and I'm yours. Our bed will never be full, Bella," he responded as he kissed me again after citing Freud. He was an odd man, to be sure. He reached down and pushed two fingers inside of me, smiling. He pulled them out of me and stuck them into his mouth, causing me to giggle.

He settled on top of me and looked deeply into my eyes. "I don't have the slightest idea how good I'll be at this, but I love you, and I've waited a long time to even consider it. I'll do the best I can, Bella," he whispered and then he kissed me gently as he pushed inside of me slowly.

It didn't feel great at first, but I knew that it wouldn't. Well, I'd been told that it wouldn't, though I knew there'd be no blood because I'd had a pelvic when I got my prescription for my birth control pills, the ass of a doctor had questioned whether I was really a virgin. I wanted to kick him in the ball sack.

After a deep breath by the both of us, I opened my eyes that I didn't even know I'd closed and looked into his which were filled with concern. He started to move away, but I stopped him. "Sorry, I was just remembering that it wasn't going to be bloody," I blurted out like a fucking moron.

"Oh, are you on your period?" he asked as he stopped moving.

I smiled at him and kissed his gorgeous lips. "No, baby. It's just that…fuck, it doesn't matter. I'll explain it later. Now is certainly not the time for a clinical discussion," I replied. He chuckled for a second until I wrapped my legs around his ass and dug my heels in, pushing him into me all the way.

Once he was completely inside of me, he stopped moving, yet a-fucking-gain. "What?" I asked impatiently.

"Hey, it's not just _your_ first time, you know. I've never done this before either. I'm not looking for fireworks, but I sure as hell want to make an impression, and shooting off right out of the gate isn't the kind of impression I'd like to make, thank you very much," he responded sarcastically.

I started laughing which caused him to hitch a breath and pull back a bit, sending a pleasurable shudder through my entire body. He pushed in again, and OMG, I was trying not to scream. It felt good, don't get me wrong, but the mere fact that the man I loved more than anything in the world was making love to me was more than my brain could handle.

Without much thought, I began to move against him which seemed to be the right thing to do because he pushed into me with a bit more force, which cause _me_ to suck in a deep breath. Before too long, we were both moving together in a really, really, really good way.

"Bella, I can't…God, you feel so good. You're so fucking tight," he whispered against my neck as he began to move a little faster. I moved against him at the pace he'd set, and before long, I felt him beginning to sweat. I was most certainly enjoying the friction, but it wasn't going to be enough to get me off. I wasn't going to fake anything with him, but I could certainly let the man know that he was doing all the right things, and with enough practice and patience, we'd get me there, I was sure.

"Edward, I love you," I gasped as he began moving faster. I couldn't keep up with him in the position I was in, so I stayed still and kissed him everywhere I could. He pushed up on his arms and looked into my eyes as he thrust even faster and finally, he closed his eyes and let go a loud sigh.

I actually felt him twitch inside me which made me happy. We'd waited two months to finally 'seal the deal' as they say, and I was quite happy about the outcome. I knew that we'd eventually figure everything out, but I was happy and content that we'd taken the first step. I looked forward to traversing the path together.

##

"Hey, where's breakfast?" Emmett yelled. I looked at the clock and saw that it was just after six fucking o'clock in the morning, and why he thought I'd get my ass out of bed and cook him breakfast was one of the great unknowns, the stupid jack stick.

"God, he's a fucking tool," Edward moaned as he pulled me closer into his body, wrapping his arms around me tighter. I could feel his hard cock against my ass, and oh, lordy, I wanted it again. The first time wasn't the fireworks that writers portrayed it to be in books, but I went in without that expectation, and it was better than I thought it would be. I'd never tell him that I expected him to be a three-pump Chump, but he'd most certainly dissuaded me of that notion the night prior.

All I had to do was help him figure out how to get me to let go like that while we were having sex. I decided that maybe if I had some time to myself that day, I'd look that shit up and see if there was a way to do it…and then I'd find my backbone and figure out how to tell him.

_Bam…Bam…Bam…_ "Get off my sister so she can fix me breakfast. I've got a minicamp today and need protein," Emmett yelled as he banged on Edward's bedroom door.

"_Protein? _You want protein? Come in here and suck my cock, and I'll give you all the protein you want. Go the-fuck away. She's not the goddamn cook. She's my girlfriend, and it's too fucking early to get up," Edward yelled. While I didn't appreciate the images that flew unbidden through my head at Edward's comment, I did appreciate that he'd stood up for me. _Bella has the best boyfriend in the world!_

"Protein?" I asked quietly as we heard the front door slam shut. I assumed that Emmett was just fucking with us because he didn't give up that easily, ever.

"I read that shit on the internet. It was probably written by some guy trying to talk his girlfriend into swallowing," Edward joked as he turned me in his arms and kissed the end of my nose.

I wanted to have a discussion with him regarding that very subject, but I needed to pee, and I wanted to brush my teeth before he asked me to move out because my breath was going to kill him. "Gotta go to the john. I'll be right back," I whispered as I quickly scampered from the bed and did my business in record time.

I walked back into the bedroom, seeing him rubbing his eyes with his right hand and stroking himself under the sheet with his left hand, and I didn't hesitate to reach into the drawer and pull out a condom before I climbed in top of him, completely surprising him.

He moved his hands and smiled at me. "So, I'd guess you've got something on your mind? Are you sore from last night?" he asked sheepishly.

I held up the condom and smiled. "No. You?" I asked jokingly. He smiled and moved the sheet from between us, taking the condom from me and ripping the package open, handing it back to me.

"I have no idea how to do this," I told him. I knew that if it wasn't on right, the fucker would break, and God knew I didn't want _that_ to happen.

"I'm glad to hear that because really, you wouldn't have a reason, would you? I actually had to endure the hell of having my father show me how to put one on a fucking banana. I'll show you how to do it," he offered.

I pulled it out of the package and looked at him. He took it from me and pinched the tip, situating it on the head of his pretty peen and taking my hand to show me how to roll it down his length. Once it was on him, he took a finger and moved it to my center, slipping it inside me which caused my eyes to almost roll back in my head.

"That's all there is to it. Now, come here," he told me as he pulled my torso down and kissed me. I was surprised that his breath wasn't disgusting, but when I turned my head as he kissed the side of my neck, I saw a tin of Altoids on the nightstand which caused me to laugh.

"It's really better if you don't laugh at me when I'm trying to make love to you," he whispered against my neck. I moved myself up a little so that I was directly over the head of his cock, and I slowly eased down on it, causing _him_ to groan from deep in his chest.

"Holy shit," he moaned as he shifted me up further to catch my left nipple in his teeth. That sensation brought a moan from me as well.

The feeling of being on top was definitely a new one…well, all positions would be new, but anyway…it felt like he was reaching new places inside me, and the friction I got from his cock stimulating my clit was enough to get me rolling from zero to sixty in three-point-two seconds, and I knew it was exactly what I needed.

After several minutes of kissing and nipping and moving against each other, I took both of his hands in mine and moved them above his head, propping myself up a bit, and I simply went to town. I rode him hard and fast, and I wasn't disappointed at all when I felt my orgasm rip through my body, causing me to lose my breath. I rode out my high, and I felt him twitch inside me and heard him growl a little when he let go just after me.

I continued to move on him until he pulled his hands from mine and stilled my hips. He pulled me down and kissed me deeply, both of us sweating and breathless. "God, that was amazing," he whispered as I rested my head on his chest, his hands gently stroking my back.

"Yeah, you can say that again. Now, are you going back to sleep, or can I fix you breakfast?" I asked. He kissed my chin, but didn't let go of me.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered as he squeezed me a little before I climbed off of him.

"I love you, too," I answered as I settled on the bed next to him, seeing him look at the clock and groan.

"Shit. If you don't mind fixing breakfast, I can grab a shower and get to campus early so I can review before my test. You don't have to cook, you know. I don't expect that," he replied as he turned on his side and played with the ends of my hair that hung over my shoulder.

"Go. I'll cook, and then I can shower and get the bus back to Stovers," I offered as I began moving to get up from the bed.

"No bus. You take my car. I can walk, and frankly, I need the fucking exercise. I haven't been working out like I should, but hey, cross-training can be good," he joked as he slapped my bare ass. I yelped and then laughed.

"Oh, that's what we're calling it now? Cross-training?" I joked as I picked up his shirt from the night before and slipped it on, pulling on my panties under it to go cook my man…oh, and he was definitely all man…a good, solid breakfast. It was, after all, the most important meal of the day.

Ten minutes later, Edward appeared in the doorway of the kitchen as I was pulling the bacon from a pan and dumping the eggs into a shallow bowl, placing both on the table that I'd set, complete with coffee and orange juice.

"Shit. If Emmett saw this, he'd beat my ass. Hey, do you think I need a haircut?" he asked out of the blue.

I walked over to the toaster and pulled out two pieces of toast, placing them on a bread plate. When I walked over to where he'd sat down, I looked at him and smiled. "Maybe wait another week," I suggested as I ran my fingers through his gorgeous hair.

Before I could get away from him, he pulled me onto his lap and kissed my lips. "Bella, this is what I want for the rest of my life, you do realize that, don't you?" he asked as he held me tightly and kissed my lips.

I was so emotional that all I could say was, "Eat or you'll be late." I wanted to say, "Let's get married tomorrow," but that was the immature girl inside me. We both had goals that we wanted to accomplish, and marriage was really premature, but it was in the back of my mind.

I tried to get up from his lap, but he'd have none of it, and we ate breakfast from his plate with my place setting remaining untouched. I was floating all the way back to Stovers.

\\\

_**E/N: See…they didn't break up! In fact, they sealed the deal. But, I know you didn't know that, so I'll give ya a pass. Edward's POV is coming up. Now, don't be scared. It'll be fun, I promise!**_

_**Thanks so much for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Thank you so much for your attention to this one. I truly appreciate it.**_

_**This is the last chapter in Bella's POV. It's short (sorry), but next chapter will be when you really get inside Edward's head. Who doesn't wanna do THAT?**_

_**Scorpio11 was otherwise occupied, so this one is just me, and any errors, well they're all mine. Don't blame her.**_

_**SMeyer owns…I merely borrow.**_

_**\\\**_

16. Best in Show

##

"Are you really going to enter those pictures into the juried show?" Alice asked as she, Jasper, and I were having coffee. I'd shown her and Jasper the photos that I'd taken of Emmett the day I moved out of the dorm, but I was nervous about their take on them, based on the subject matter. That day, they'd both just smiled at me, but they hadn't offered any commentary which had me worried.

"Well, Banner said I should enter them as an anonymous submission, and then if they do well, I can take the credit after the fact. I'm just nervous about it because it's my stupid fucking brother," I confided.

Jasper started laughing. "I'm changing my minor," he announced. We both looked at him like he was crazy, and he continued to laugh at us.

"To what?" Alice asked.

"I'm going to minor in business because I want to be your fucking agent. You enter those pictures, Bella. They're incredible," he announced as he got up to go to the bathroom.

"Is he serious?" I asked her with wide eyes. It seemed to be a spur of the moment decision in my opinion.

"I'd say so. He's been going on about your talent since he saw your pictures. Anyway, enter them, Bella. You've got nothing to lose," Alice suggested. When I thought about it, she was right. They wouldn't be under my name initially, so I really had nothing to lose…except maybe a little…or a lot…of self-confidence if they didn't do well.

##

It was the Sunday of the exhibition judging. The photos would be up for the last week of school, but the judging was on Sunday night. I was setting my two panels, and Edward was working out with Emmett. "Lower," I called to Jasper who'd agreed to help me set my photos to optimize the lighting in the hall where the photos were to be displayed. We couldn't manipulate the lights at all, so placement of the photos was key to the exhibit.

"I don't think so. With them at this level, they seem to illuminate by drawing the eyes up and catching more of the light," Jasper argued. I walked over to where he was standing, holding the print, and I understood exactly what he was talking about. The subject's face was more obscured which highlighted the position of her body, making it more angelic with the sun in the background.

"You're right. Fuck, get your minor in business, and unless I end up working at McDonald's, I'll definitely hire you as my agent," I joked.

"A verbal contract is binding in the state of Indiana," Jasper responded as he affixed the shot to the wall with the two sided tape that we were allowed to use.

I laughed. "Well played, Whitlock. Sign me on before I hit my stride," I joked.

"That was the plan, Swan. So, what about the anonymous photos? Nobody's here right now, and we can set them and get out before everyone else shows up, thus maintaining the mystery," he suggested. I looked around the hall to see that we were the last two people in the area, and I agreed.

Just as we were finishing up, Alice strolled in with a smirk on her face. "Hey, Alice," I called as I cleaned up the tape trash from the floor and stepped back to look at the photos of Emmett. We'd set them lower to take advantage of the darker space, and it looked incredible, and I owed it to Jasper.

"Finished?" she asked. Jasper nodded as he wrapped his arm around her neck and kissed her temple, looking at the photos again.

"Okay. Jazz, pick us up at 6:00," Alice announced as she kissed his cheek and grabbed my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To get you ready for your big debut, Annie Lebowitz," Alice teased as she led me from the hall. I got a text as we went to Blaire House. I opened it to see it was from Edward, and I smiled.

_**Where are you babe? Shouldn't you be home getting ready? Dad, Mom and Katie are here, FYI. ILY – E**_

"Shit," I commented.

"What?" Alice asked.

"Carlisle, Esme and Katie are here," I volunteered nervously. I certainly hadn't expected them to show up, but if they were there, I'd have to deal with it. To say the stress level increased was an understatement.

##

"Alice, I'm not sure…" I began as I looked at myself in the full-length mirror that had taken up residence in my old dorm room since I'd moved out. I was in a pair of above-the knee black leather boots…compliments of Rosalie…and a black leather mini-dress that was about four inches too short. It was one of Alice's, but she'd insisted. The fishnets weren't to my liking either.

I felt like a hooker or like I was going to a club. I didn't look at all like I was going to an art exhibit. The make-up she'd put on me would have worked if I was dancing in a bird cage at a go-go club or maybe swinging from a pole, but for a Sunday night in conservative Indiana, I thought it was a lot over the top.

At least my hair was styled in a fashion I liked. It was in soft waves and pulled to one side. The entire look only made me more nervous.

"Come on, you looking fucking hot. I'd say you'll be the most gorgeous photography geek at the show," Rosalie called as she applied a quick spritz of hairspray.

"Thanks, I guess," I answered. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Alice opened it to see Edward, Jasper and Emmett standing there. I laughed when I saw Jasper. He was wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a black leather bolo tie, polished black cowboy boots in place as I expected.

"Hey, Roy Rogers," Rosalie teased. Edward was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a light blue button-down shirt, and Emmett was in a pair of jeans and his fucking football jersey, not surprisingly.

"I'm here to make sure my client is pumped up for the show. I called around to a few newspapers…not of the student variety…and I happen to know that everyone is anxious to meet Bella Swan. Shall we, darlin'," Jasper elucidated as he offered me his arm. Edward was yet to say anything regarding what I was wearing. He just stood silent, his eyes moving up and down my body like an airport scanner.

"Whoa, hang on a fuckin' minute. You're going out like _that_?" Emmett asked as he crossed his arms over his broad, billboard-sized chest and tilted his head to the side.

"I am. What's your damage?" I asked curtly. Fuck him. He wasn't going to dictate fashion to me.

"No damage. I just don't like everyone seeing so much of my girlfriend. Where's the rest of that dress?" Edward snapped, finally speaking and obviously siding with my meathead of a brother.

"Don't be ridiculous. She looks fabulous," Alice defended as she walked out into the hallway, taking my hand and pulling me behind her.

"You heard the woman. My team thinks it's appropriate, and there are three of them, so you two old fuddy-duddies are outvoted," I called as we walked down to the elevator.

"How much cash you got on you?" I heard Edward ask Emmett.

"I've got enough to bail your ass out. You?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, I've got your back," Edward called. The rest of us laughed as we boarded the elevator and climbed into Emmett's Jeep that was parked outside at the curb. I was nervous as hell, but I was actually happy to feel the reaction of my boyfriend as I sat on his lap on the way to the hall.

"You look fucking hot. I can't wait to get you home later," he whispered as his hand palmed my leather-clad ass. I couldn't wait for that either.

##

I looked around the hall and saw that there were a lot more people in attendance than I thought would show. Jasper hadn't actually left my side all evening, which led me to believe that he was taking his role as my agent seriously, and we were waiting for the Dean of my school to announce the awards. The judges, who were anonymous, had already judged the photos and rendered their opinions. I was nervous as fuck.

I'd spoken to Carlisle, Esme, and Katie, and Edward was over in the corner talking to them near my other exhibit. Emmett and Rosalie were hovering there as well because I was certain that Emmett was waiting to be recognized as the model. I was positive that the ass had a Sharpie in his pocket to sign autographs if anyone recognized him.

"Vy show pictures as anonymous?" I heard behind me as I took a drink of my water while watching the Dean circulating through the crowd. I turned to see Irina Dubrovnik standing before me with a large man with dreadlocks who I recognized from seeing him on campus.

"Miss Dubrovnik? It's great that you could come," I responded in surprise to the intimidating ice blonde.

"Vy show them as anonymous? You should show pride over pictures," she chastised. I hated to admit to her how lacking in confidence I was over the series, but I could tell I wasn't going to get out of it.

"My advisor suggested it because the subject matter was controversial, and he didn't want them to tarnish…"I began.

"Is bullshit. Photos are great. Vy hide talent? I never understand Americans," she complained as she walked away from me without another word, hands thrown up in the air.

Jasper looked at me with a question. "That's Irina Dubrovnik. She's the professional photographer who held the nudes' seminar where I took the pictures. I guess she's not happy with me," I offered. Jasper chuckled as he took my elbow and led me over to the display of three photos of Emmett where Dubrovnik was talking to the Dean.

"Is time you recognize good art," she bitched as the Dean affixed a blue ribbon on the display which signified "Best in Show." I looked at Jasper and gasped. He hugged me, and before I knew what was happening, Edward had me in his arms, kissing me deeply.

"I knew you'd win. They're perfect, just like you," he whispered as he gently kissed my lips again with his left hand on my cheek and his right hand planted firmly on my ass.

After several minutes of hugs from everyone who knew that the photos were mine, Jasper changed the plaque from the wall that read,

_Nude in Shadow  
Anonymous, 2011_

…to one that read…

_Nude in Shadow  
Isabella Swan, 2011_

I was actually quite proud to claim the photos because they really were great. We moved over to the "Peace" series, and I saw that I'd won honorable mention, which made me very happy.

"Miss Swan? I'm with the Linus Gallery in Pasadena. We're doing a show entitled, "Nude but Not Rude," and we'd like to invite you to display your series or something similar for our show next spring. If it goes over well, we wouldn't be opposed to showing more of your work at a future date. Here's my card," the man offered. I looked at it seeing his name was Felix Linus. I was quite surprised.

"Um, can I think about it?" I asked.

"Of course. The deadline is next March. Get back to me," he offered as he kissed my hand. It seemed that I'd made my splash in a big way, and it surprised the hell out of me.

That night, I felt like the Queen of the World…unlike Leo D who was the king of the world simply by standing at the front of a soon-to-be sinking ship. My ship was just setting sail, and I was happy that it had been christened with Edward at my side. I knew that with him, the world was open to me, and I was looking forward to every change that came my way.

##

"Call me when you get there, and let me know you're settled, please. I'm going to miss you so fucking much," Edward whispered to me as Emmett paced by his Jeep. He was tasked with taking me down to Muncie before he went to New York with Rosalie. I hated it more than anything else, and it completely overshadowed the high I'd felt after the art show.

Esme and Carlisle had taken us out for dinner after the show, and they'd told me how proud they were of me and how great my photos were. Even Emmett hugged me, though I was pretty sure that he was gloating about his self-proclaimed "Best in Show" status. _Maybe at Westminster…_

My parents, when I called them, didn't really say anything except to remind me to call Gran and make sure she knew when I'd show up. At least my mom congratulated me on my awards.

"I will, I promise. I love you…don't you forget that when all of those hot Chicago girls start hitting on you. You're mine," I replied as I kissed him again, trying to fight my tears. Crying would do nothing for either of us.

I climbed into Emmett's Jeep, and we drove in silence for the first hour as I sniffled and cried. I was grateful that he hadn't teased me. Maybe he was growing up? No, I doubted it. My guess was that Rosalie's threats had more to do with it than Emmett's maturation.

After we stopped for gas, he hopped in and looked at me. "Look, I know you're gonna be sad, but there's nothing that can be done about it, okay? Use the time to take some pictures, and maybe take some on-line classes or something. Gran would get internet if you wanted it because you're the favorite. I'll call ya and check in with you, and I expect that you'll do the same, okay? I think we're closer than we've probably been our whole lives, and I know that you'll be living with Cullen and me next year, but I'm looking forward to it. We'll just tell Mom and Dad that Cullen moved out, and we're going to share the apartment, okay?" he asked.

I looked at him and laughed. It was the first time my brother had made any gesture of the sort, and I wanted to hug him, so I did. He was really a sweet guy, even if he was an ass.

"How'd you ever get Charlie and Renee to agree that you could go to New York with Rosalie?" I asked. As far as I knew, he hadn't pushed them about anything ever in his life. If he suddenly had a magic bullet that got Charlie and Renee Swan to listen to reason, I sure as fuck wanted to know what it was.

"Oh, they didn't agree at all. As a matter of fact, they're not going to give me spending money next year, but I don't give a shit. Some things are more important, and hell, I'm gonna be twenty-two, so it's time I stood up for myself. You might want to think about it," he suggested. He made a hell of a point. It was something I'd have the whole summer to ponder, unfortunately, because at the moment, I most certainly wasn't in the mood to call my parents and defy them. God, I was fucking pathetic.

"Thanks, Em," I told him as he peeled away from the pumps. Emmett's advice was a baby step in establishing a relationship with my brother that I hoped would blossom over the years. He was reaching out as best he could, and I was going to embrace it.

##

"Gran, do you need me to do anything?" I asked. I'd been there for a week, and she seemed quite irritated. Emmett had spent the night before he went back to Bluefield to get the bus to Chicago to get his flight to New York. It didn't seem as if Gran was happy to see either of us.

"I do. I need you to explain to your father that I don't need a damn babysitter, and I need you to stop following me around as if I'm going to drop dead at any moment," she snapped as she repotted plants on her back porch.

Maybe I was hovering, but Dad had made it clear that she was weak, and I was to be there to take care of her and make sure she didn't overexert herself. She hadn't fully recovered from her by-pass surgery, and it was my job to make certain that she was following her doctor's orders. I was taking that shit very seriously, not that Charlie and Renee actually gave me a choice in the matter.

"I'm not following you around. I'm here to help you. What about this job that you've set me up with?" I asked sounding pissed off. Well, I was pissed off. I didn't want a fucking job in Muncie, Indiana. I wanted to be in Oak Park, or nearby, and I wanted to be with my boyfriend.

"Where's your young man?" Gran asked as she dumped peat moss into a large flower pot. The old gal still had a lot going on, even if Charlie refused to see it. I hadn't mentioned that I had a young man, but Gran was astute enough to figure out that I was suffering some sort of heartache.

"Chicago. I was set to work there this summer, but Mom and Dad told me you needed me here, so here I am," I replied, trying to sound upbeat. I didn't believe for a minute that I'd pulled it off.

"That sounds just about right. Do you love him?" she asked as she watered the plant she'd just transplanted.

I wasn't sure how to answer because I knew that my parents would discount it if I told them that at the ripe old age of nineteen I believed I was with the boy I'd love the rest of my life, but Gran seemed to have a different slant on everything, so I took a chance. "I do, Gran. With everything in me," I told her thinking about how he looked when I'd left him outside of the apartment building. He'd looked so fucking sad that I wanted to jump out of the fucking Jeep and take him to a cave in Pakistan to hide for the summer.

We'd sent each other texts, and I'd talked to him when Gran went to bed, but it just wasn't the fucking same. I wanted to be with him…hell, I needed to be with him, and that was all there was to it.

"You know, I met Grandpa when I was seventeen, and we married when I turned eighteen. I know how it feels to be in love at an early age, sweetheart. When he went into the service for Korea and then Vietnam, I thought I'd die. Why are you here with me when I don't need you? There's no job, Bella. I told Charlie and Renee that because I knew they'd force you to come.

"Now, go to the rack and get my keys, and take my car. Go to Chicago, and be with your young man. Stay in touch with me, and call your parents every once in a while so they think you're still here. I won't tell them that you're in Chicago, and there's no reason for you to either. It'll just be between us. The people who own the bookstore in town are Gil and Florence, and they're very nice, so toss in a few stories about them every now and again. I love you, but honey, frankly, you're cramping my style by being here," Gran complained.

I laughed my ass off because, hell she'd just undergone triple by-pass, and she was only a few months into her recovery, but she was probably the sanest person in my family. I most certainly wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I'd get out of her hair, and I'd go to Chicago. If I'd had a backbone in the first place, it was where I would have been anyway. Nothing should have kept me away.

That's what SHE SAID.

\\\

_**E/N: So? I know it was short, but a lot happened. As I mentioned, next chap is EPOV. Don't worry. I have no doubt you'll love him!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: Howdy! Sorry, still channeling "Trip" a bit. So, I hope we're all doing well. Thank you so very much for your reviews. X's and O's to all of you!**_

_**Scorpio11, you're a wise one. Thanks for your help on this.**_

_**SMeyer owns. I don't infringe.**_

_**So, shall we crawl inside Edward's head?**_

_**\\\**_

HE SAID

17. The Depths of Hell

##

"Here's your desk. I know it's not glamorous or anything, but it's what's available. Marcus has a staff meeting called for 2:00 PM to welcome the interns, so I'll stop by and get you," Beth called. She was a junior analyst at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, and she was very nice to me when I'd shown up on the third floor without any idea of where the fuck to go.

I'd been home for a week. Bella was in Muncie, and I was truly in hell. My parents kept tossing out platitudes that only served to piss me off like "what doesn't kill us," "absence makes the heart grow fonder," and my favorite to date, "you're too young to be so serious about one girl." That was from my mother, and when she said it, I abruptly rose from the table and dumped my dinner of porcini mushroom ravioli in the trash. I didn't reappear for the rest of the night, choosing to brood in my room and listen to emo music on my iPod.

Meanwhile, my sister…my one grounding rod and the only other sane person in my house…had chosen to be gone all the fucking time with her "friend" Tanya. That was bullshit…she was with Garrett, and I knew it.

"Thanks," I called as I sat down at my desk and reviewed all of the forms that I'd been given to fill out. I looked for a pen, finding the drawers empty, so I went in search of a fucking supply closet because, for the love of Mike, couldn't they at least give me paper and pens? Seriously, I wondered what the hell I'd signed up for when I accepted the position. Of course, a little bit…_right…_of me was blaming my father for the whole thing. It was all very passive-aggressive.

As I wandered the aisles of the cubicle farm in which I found myself, I made a decision. I wasn't going to ever work for a business where people were expected to survive in cubicles. It was absolutely ridiculous to think that anyone could do any productive thinking in such a situation, and I wasn't going to be a part of it.

I finally found the supply closet, just as my phone vibrated in my pants' pocket. I was grateful that they were business casual so that I could wear slacks and shirts instead of suits. I only owned two because my mother said that you needed one for a funeral and one for a wedding, and the rest of life was casual. I wondered if she was high when she'd made the statement.

I pulled the phone out of my pocket as I stood before a wall of various office supplies, considering the merits of ballpoint versus felt tip, and looked at the text. It was from my Bella, and I was immediately happier.

_**I miss you so fucking much. I'm in hell. I told Gran that I have a young man, and she's actually happy about it. I love you very much. B**_

God, I knew exactly how she felt. I felt like half of me was missing, and I knew where it was but I couldn't get to it. It was in fucking Muncie, Indiana. My Bella missed me. At least I had _that_ comfort…such that it was. I was such a fucking pussy, but I sent back a reply, nonetheless.

_**I hate being here. I hate my job already, and I miss you like crazy. We'll get through it, right? I love you as well, Bella. More than anything.**_

I pressed 'send' like the pathetic lovesick loser fool I was, and grabbed a handful of ballpoints and felt tips. They always touted that variety was the spice of life, and I had not one other fucking thing in my life that was exciting, so I'd switch off. _God, I was fucking pathetic._

Later that day, we had a staff meeting wherein we were all introduced to the permanent staff, and the dumping began. Data mining was to be the most exciting thing I'd do that summer. I didn't want to be a doctor, but I didn't think I wanted to be a financial wizard either. _Hello, rock…meet hard place._

##

"Eddie! Come down, quick," Katie called from downstairs. It was the evening of my first day of work, and I was in my room sending Bella an e-mail which was really fucking pathetic when I re-read it. I deleted the emo thing and decided to go see what my absent-of-late sister had up her sleeve.

Hell, maybe Mom had made brownies, and we could get high. I wasn't above anything to relieve the ache in my chest from missing Bella. _Did I mention how fucking pathetic I am?_

I skirted down the stairs to see her talking to someone by the front door, and I hoped to fuck that my sister, for whom I'd always had the utmost respect, hadn't gone off her rocker and decided to set me up with one of the crackpot freaks she knew from school. She had to know better than that because she'd met Bella, and she knew that I was in love with her.

"What?" I called from midway down the stairs. If it was one of her friends, I wasn't going to waste the energy to go to the bottom.

"Look who I found," she called as she stepped aside and pulled the White Sox cap off of the girl's head. I did a double take, then jumped the rest of the way down the stairs, sweeping her into my arms and hugging her so tightly I worried I'd hurt her.

"How'd you get here? No, how long can you stay?" I asked as I showered kisses all over her face. It was my other half coming back to me, and immediately, I felt whole again.

"I was cramping Gran's style, so she gave me her car and told me not to come back to Muncie without calling first. She wants to meet my young man, and she was actually sympathetic to the fact that my parents sending me there for the summer, making me miserable in the process, was all kinds of wrong," Bella explained breathlessly as I kept kissing her cheeks and her neck just to make sure she was real and I hadn't lost my fucking mind as I'd assumed I'd do without her.

"God, I love your grandmother. She's the smartest person I know," I gasped. I heard Katie laughing as she walked up the stairs to give us some privacy.

"I know. I believe the same thing," Bella responded as she wrapped her arms around my neck. It was the most incredible feeling in the whole world.

I didn't ask any more questions. I carried her upstairs to my room and put us both on the bed, holding her close. "When do you have to go back?" I asked. I needed to know my window because if she was only there for the weekend, then we were leaving the house and going to a hotel so I could keep her to myself.

"Um, August, I guess," she responded. I froze. If she was telling me that she was mine for the summer, then we were looking at a completely different scenario.

"August? Like when it's time to go back to school? What about the Chief and Mrs. S?" I asked. _Her father carried guns, you understand, so my concern was definitely legitimate_.

"Well, maybe we go down at the end of July and take her car back. I'm sure she'd like to see you, so maybe you could go back with me? I know that she likes you as a friend of Emmett's. She just doesn't know that _I'm _with you now. She didn't ask me who I was pining for. She just asked me where my young man was and told me to get the keys and get out. God, I love her," Bella replied.

Hell, I'd take her back to Muncie to drop off her grandmother's car, and then we could go back to school together. I had some things to think about regarding the direction my life was headed, but it was the business side of things, not the personal side. My personal life was on track to be wonderful.

##

"So, Bella, are you interested in working for me to help with vacations? I considered calling a temp agency, but if you're here and willing," Dad asked her later that evening. We were having dinner with my parents, and I could see my sister was eager to get away.

"Sure. Um, Edward's going to be working every day so I'll just be here by myself, and God knows, I could use the money," Bella joked.

Money…the root of all fucking evil. The only reason I was on the path that I was certain I would hate for the rest of my life was because of money. My father, the tofu-loving, earring-wearing, successful surgeon, held the pen that would seal my fate.

He had control of the majority of my trust fund, and if I didn't do as he insisted, I'd never see a penny. Oh, my education would be paid for, but after that, I'd be out on my ass. It was what he'd mandated, and it was the last fucking thing I wanted to do.

After only one day on the job, I could feel my soul being sucked from my body. If I stayed in the profession, it would be like that for the rest of my life. To add insult to injury, I was required to go to London to completely extinguish any creative fire in me and learn to become a slave to the all-mighty dollar.

I was so pissed off as we sat at the table eating some god-awful soy bean gazpacho thing my mother had made that I wasn't even joking about how bad it was with my sister. I was so fucking tired of eating twigs and berries and cardboard. I wanted a goddamn omelet or a cheeseburger or even fucking toast if Bella made it for me.

I had a lot of decisions to make, and I needed to talk to Bella about them because, well, we were sort of both in the same boat. Her parents controlled her life, and my parents controlled mine, and we needed to figure out how the fuck to crawl out from under them. They might have a vision for our futures, but wasn't it up to us at all? That was all I could think about…_it was up to us_.

##

"Mmmm…I've missed this, waking up next to you," Bella whispered as I held her close. I'd been too tense the night before to make love to her, but that morning, yeah, I was still tense, but she was there, and she was warm, and I was hard, and sex was relatively new to us…_you see where I'm going with this_.

I reached over into the nightstand and grabbed the box of mints and a condom. I popped an Altoid first, and then peeled the wrapper on the condom, rolling it down my aching cock. I needed to ask her when in the fuck her pills kicked in because I wanted to have sex without the latex, but I wasn't about to ruin our reunion with that. It had only been a little more than a week since we were last together, but hell, we'd just started having sex before she went to Muncie and I came home, and a day was like a goddamn year once I got the taste.

I kissed her neck and inhaled her scent, which only fueled my lust. "Fuck, I can't believe you're here. I love you so damn much," I whispered as I moved on top of her and slowly stroked into her as her hands wound into my hair the way I fucking loved. If I'd have had any inkling that sex with Bella could be so fucking good, I'd have never waited as long as we did…not that we really waited that long, but it felt like a fucking eternity to me as I looked back on it.

I began moving in and out of her slowly, just enjoying the sleepy smile on her face, and the bright light in her gorgeous brown eyes. She was perfect for me, and if anyone thought differently, I'd gladly beat it into them that they were wrong.

I'd been to jail once, which luckily hadn't ended with me having to go to court, but the next son-of-a-bitch might not come out with just a bruised jar and a busted lip…or two black eyes and a loose tooth, as Jacob Black reported when I wrote him a fucking check to keep him from pressing charges.

That was something that no one but he and I knew because I told him I'd make it so much worse for him the next time if he fucked with me. _Maybe an anger management class wouldn't be a bad idea?_

I continued to kiss her and move inside of her, and just as things were starting to heat up for me, I remembered something I'd looked up on the internet the week before when I was bored as shit and decided to do a little research regarding pleasuring your partner.

I hadn't started my job yet, and the days were fucking endless, so I decided to be proactive. It was my plan to bring some new tricks with me when we both got back to school in August, and I'd decided to give myself time to really understand them, so I started immediately…and then, of course, I had to jack off in the shower because in my desire to commit the different moves and positions to memory, I'd imagined Bella on all fours with me fucking her from behind, and neither my cock nor my brain would let go of that image.

I moved a knee up for leverage and moved my right hand down to her clit, slowly circling my thumb around it before I began stroking it a bit more aggressively, hearing her moan just as I wanted her to. It took me a while to figure out that she got off quite easily on top of me but I couldn't get her to her happy place with me on top of her, so I looked it up, finding my answer. Her pretty little clit got friction with her on top that was difficult to replicate in the missionary position. God bless the internet.

"Fuck, Edward," she groaned as I put more pressure on her clit to match my more, trying not to lose it too quickly. I wanted us to come at the same time because I loved feeling her pulsing around me as her body arched into mine.

It had become a fucking craving, and now that she was with me, I needed a fucking fix. Sex was new to both of us, and I wanted to make it as good for her as possible every time so that she'd want to do it as much as I wanted to, which was all the fucking time.

The only thing that could make my boring job more interesting would be if I was allowed to bring her with me to work and fuck her all day…in my chair…on my desk…against the copier…I'd never leave a job that offered _that_ kind of a perk.

After several more strokes and an order from my girl that I go harder, I felt myself about to come, and as much as I fought it, I couldn't hold back. "Fuck," I gasped as I released inside the condom. I continued to circle and press her clit until she let go just after me, and feeling her body tighten around my cock was incredible.

She had a tight little pussy, and I knew she was always wet for me because my cock had no problem sliding into her without the aid of lube. My only complaint about the whole thing…we _had_ to get rid of the fucking condoms.

As I rested half on top of her, an idea hit my radar that wasn't exactly my best, but in my opinion, it wasn't my worst. I didn't know if she'd go along with it, but if she did, we'd be allowed to live our life together without the controlling hands of our parents. It was fucking drastic, but the more it took root in my brain, the more right it felt to me.

After we showered, I sat Bella down on the bed and laid out my plan to her. I could see the doubt in her eyes, but I felt in my heart that it was the smartest thing to do. "Look, it's the best idea. My dad wouldn't hold back my trust fund, and we'd have taken the decisions about our future out of their hands. I'm not saying it's foolproof, but it's a good idea. I've got to go to work, but think about it, will you?" I asked…more like begged. Since I didn't see any other way out of going to Europe and leaving her behind, I was pretty fucking sure my plan was our last shot.

"I can't see springing this on either of our parents as a good idea," she countered. She was always the fucking voice of reason, my Bella.

"That's why we take care of everything first and tell them after the fact when it's too late for them to stop us. Just think about it," I offered.

I rose from the bed and went into the closet, pulling out clothes for the day. When I went back into the bedroom, I saw her still sitting there thinking.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Swan," I ordered as I pulled on boxers and a t-shirt, not taking my eyes off of her.

"We have to wait a few weeks at least, and I think we're even going to have to keep Katie in the dark about it. I don't think she'd go along with this if she knew the truth, do you?" she asked.

I pulled on my dress shirt and looked in the mirror, watching her. "Will you be able to work for Dad and not give anything away?" I asked. She was set to go into his office that day and meet everyone, and then Mom was going to take her to lunch.

My sister was going along because she had started working for Mom, and I hoped that Bella could keep it to herself because we needed the fucking element of surprise to pull this shit off.

"I hate lying with a passion. I'm not good at it, you know," she reminded as she went to her suitcase and pulled out clothes.

"Well, we could make it not a lie," I offered with a chuckle. The idea wasn't completely unappealing to me, though I knew _that_ road would be a lot tougher than the one we were considering.

"No…I'll have a hard time pulling _this_ off, much less _that_," she replied with a laugh.

I buttoned my shirt and tucked it into my trousers, buckling my belt and trying to do something with my crazy mop. Bella looked at me as she hooked the black lace bra that was going to be on my mind all fucking day. I wondered if she did that shit on purpose.

"You need a haircut, Cullen," she teased as she bent over at the waist and did a little shimmy as she pulled up her gorgeous tits, causing my cock to stir. That was the last thing I needed because we were due to go downstairs and have breakfast, and I was pretty sure that a hard-on wouldn't be welcomed at Esme Cullen's breakfast table.

"You need to stop doing _that_. Can we stop using condoms?" I asked as I buttoned my cuffs, thankful I didn't have to wear a tie.

"I think we have to, don't you…I mean, if we're going to try to pull off that crazy fucking idea you came up with?" she asked. She certainly had a point.

I went to my bathroom trash and found the one I'd deposited before my shower and flushed it, hoping I didn't clog up the fucking pipes in the house. Explaining that shit to my dad wasn't what I wanted to have to do at all.

I walked back into the bedroom as she was tying the side of her navy dress, and fuck, if she didn't look stunning. How I'd lucked into a woman like Bella Swan would remain a mystery until the day I died.

I was just superstitious enough that I wasn't going to question it for fear I'd find out it was a fucking hallucination. "I'm sorry that it wasn't like those fucking movies you love so much, but I meant everything I said to you, okay? I love you, Bella, with all of my heart. We'll figure this shit out, I swear to you," I whispered as I kissed her lips gently. She was perfect, and thank God, she was mine.

\\\

_**E/N: Now, I know it's a cliffie, but things come together. Hell, you're all too smart for me!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Hello there! Thank you for your reviews. I'm glad you like hearing Edward's POV. I truly love the guy. He gets a lot funnier as we go along, and his devotion grows, trust me!**_

_**Scorpio11 – Thank you for your beta skills! Hearts and flowers to you!**_

_**SMeyer owns all. No infringement from me.**_

_**\\\**_

18. Projects

##

I was sitting in my cubicle on South LaSalle when I heard a half-assed knock on the half-assed wall. I was analyzing recent numbers for the banking sector of the Seventh District. I was actually killing time because as I'd come to find out, I was the glorified secretary for the group.

Support staff was minimal, and as the intern and low man on the totem pole, my job was fucking awful…I made coffee…made copies…and sorted the mail. There was no great analysis in my job, but I had access to data, and I was truly trying to figure out if it was something I saw myself doing for the rest of my fucking life.

I turned in my chair to see Jim Turner, one of the Senior Analysts, standing at my cube with a stack of reports in his arms and a smirk on his face. "Cullen?" he asked. _Well, asshole, that's what the paper tag reads that's taped to the wall._

"Yeah," I answered unenthusiastically.

"Great. Beth sent me on a goose chase to another floor. Anyway, I'm Jim. I've got a project," he began.

It didn't really take a NASA scientist or a Brookings economist to figure out that copying and logging would be involved. "Sure, what can I do for you?" I asked.

He flopped what I guesstimated to be about thirty reports on my desk and handed me a sheet of paper. "I need you to fill out these slip sheets for each bank. After you're done with that, I need three copies of each report with the slip sheet attached, and then give me a spreadsheet that compares last year's number to this year's, based on the data you'll pull. Oh, there's a query for that. Um, talk to Hadley Granger about how to use it because you might need special access. You up for it?" he asked. I looked over the document he gave me, and saw it was actually a project and not really bullshit, though I would be spending a lot of fucking time at the copier.

"Sure. I've got it. When do you need it?" I asked. I'd been less than enthused about the job based on the bullshit from the week before, but if I was actually doing real work, then maybe I could warm up to it.

"Next Wednesday," he responded as he picked up the only personal thing on my desk. It was a picture Bella had taken of the two of us in our apartment at school, and she'd given it to me before she went to Muncie. I'd bought the frame and taken it with me to work to remind me why I was doing the boring-as-fuck job in the first place.

"Cute girl. Yours?" he asked. He wasn't being a dick about it, so I wasn't too pissed.

"Yeah, that's my girlfriend. She's a photography major," I offered, wondering what she was doing at the moment.

"No shit? Is she local? My kid's birthday is this weekend, and my wife just informed me we need a photographer to take pictures at the party. Who knew that you needed photographic documentation of a one-year old's birthday party," he responded with an amused smirk on his face. Yeah, that was shit I knew absolutely nothing about.

"Um, she's actually in town for the summer. I don't know if that's something she's ever done, but I can ask her," I responded, trying not to commit her in case it was something she had no desire to do. We had enough fucking people telling us what to do…she didn't need me piling shit on her.

"I'll pay her. I'm new to this parenting thing, and I had no idea it was so important, but maybe my wife won't be so pissed that I've got a golf tournament next month if I come up with a photographer. Will you ask her?" he asked as he placed the picture on my desk in its place of honor.

"Sure. So you want this by next Wednesday?" I asked in confirmation.

He laughed. "Sorry. I wasn't very clear, was I? The reporting period _ends_ next Wednesday. This will be your job for the summer, Cullen. There will be a few hundred of these things come in between today and next Wednesday. This is just the beginning," he replied. I withheld the groan.

It wasn't that I didn't expect to have a bullshit job; it was just a reaffirmation that it wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my fucking life. It only solidified in my mind that the plan I'd laid out for Bella the week before was the best for both of us.

I didn't exactly know what I thought would be my life's calling, like photography was Bella's, but I had an inkling of something, and it was so far away from analyzing government reports, it wasn't even funny. "Okay, then. If you have questions, I'm in the office down there. Let me know about the pictures as soon as possible, okay?" he asked.

"Will do," I called as I picked up the single piece of paper that he'd given me to make copies and then go in search of someone named Hadley Granger. I didn't even know if it was a man or woman. The name was ambiguous enough to be deceptive, but I knew in my gut that the job I was doing wasn't one I wanted to do for the rest of my days above ground. I'd rather die than do this shit every day, I was fairly certain.

##

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Bella asked. It was in Elk Ridge, and it was the address Jim had given me. It was as big a place as what my parents had, and there were balloons everywhere. For a one-year olds' party…it was a hell of a set-up.

"Hey, this is the address he gave you when you talked to him. I confirmed it on the website at work, so yeah, this is it," I told her.

It was the second Saturday in June, and she'd agreed to photograph the party. He'd offered to pay her a couple of hundred bucks, and I'd agreed to come along and help her out because she had a hell of a lot of equipment that she'd rented.

We knocked on the door and were let in by a nice, older woman after Bella had explained who she was. The woman showed her where to set up, and my girl proceeded to get to work.

"Hey, welcome," I heard as I was helping her open cases and handing her lenses and shit I didn't even know about. She'd set up a little area to take pictures of the baby with its parents….yeah, I hadn't bothered to find out if it was a boy or girl…and then she was going to circulate and take candid shots. Well, that was what she'd told me in the car on the way to the house.

Hi, Dr. Turner. This is my girlfriend, Bella Swan. Bella, this is Dr. Turner," I introduced. He laughed.

"Hell, Dr. Turner? Cullen, you don't have to suck up to me. I'm nobody. Bella, I'm Jim, and that," he responded as he looked around and pointed to a tall redhead, "that's my wife Vicki with our son, Riley. Vick! Vicki! Come here!" She turned and smiled with the little boy in her arms.

She walked over to us and switched the kid in her arms. "Hi, I'm Victoria Turner. You must be Bella and Edward Cullen," she introduced. I looked at Bella and smirked.

"Um, yeah. It's nice to meet you. So, where would you like me?" Bella asked sheepishly as she checked her equipment.

"Let me go change him, and maybe while I'm gone, you can take pictures of the guests. Um, I'll be back in a few minutes," Victoria instructed.

"No problem," Bella called with a smile as she walked away. She began shooting pictures, and I just watched her. She was in her element behind a camera. Fuck, in my opinion, she could have easily been in front of the camera as well because she was so goddamn beautiful, but the fact that she didn't see it made her even more beautiful in my opinion.

"She's cute. How long have you two been together?" Jim asked.

I thought about it, and decided to give him my _perspective,_ which didn't exactly mesh with _reality_. "A few years," I answered. Maybe it wasn't true specifically, but I was pretty sure I'd had feelings for her for a couple of years, so I was going with that time period.

"Oh, so high school sweethearts? Well, good for you. It seems like you've got yourself a keeper. Help yourself to a beer or some food," he called as he walked away.

I wished we'd been high school sweethearts. It didn't seem to me like it had only been a few months we'd been together. As I stood watching her kick off her shoes and climb into the bouncy house to take pictures, I felt like it had been a lot longer.

Seeing her taking pictures around the party, and then of the baby with different family members and by himself, I was awestruck.

The couple had money, and they were able to have an elaborate party for a one-year old. There was a very good chance we'd never be able to offer the same thing to a child we had if we went through with my plan and our parents took it badly. The idea gave me pause.

While I didn't want to go to Oxford, I_ did _want to give Bella everything I could, and I wasn't sure how I could do it without having a steady job. Could I suck it up and take a job similar to what I was working that summer? That I didn't know, but I was certainly reconsidering my feelings on the matter.

##

"Hey, you needed to see me?" I heard behind me. It was Jim Turner, and I had a few questions regarding the reports that were stacked on every fucking flat surface in my cube.

It had been a week since his kid's birthday party, and I knew Bella was planning to bring the pictures downtown to him and have lunch with me that day, so I also wanted to make sure he was going to be around.

"Oh, hey. Um, I've got a few questions. On a couple of these reports, I noticed the numbers they claim to have reported last year don't actually match up to last year's reports. Are there amended reports I should be looking for that will show the change?" I asked.

"Really? Can you show me some?" he responded with a cocked eyebrow. I didn't know if he thought I was a fucking idiot or if the news I'd given him was actually a surprise.

I pulled a couple of the reports I'd flagged and pointed out the errors between what was in the current report and what was in the database from the year prior. After a few minutes, he picked up my phone and called someone.

After another few minutes of conversation on the phone with him only saying, "no," "yeah," and "shit," he hung up and looked at me. "Yeah, it's fucked up. Good catch. Jess is going to come sit with you so you can walk her through the errors. We need to figure out if it's our fuck up or if it's the institutions'. You'd think they'd get this shit right. It's not like they don't have to report it every year," he complained without looking at me. I guessed he was talking to himself.

I really had nothing to add because I had no idea that they had to do it every year, but that brought up something else. "How long have you been here?" I asked. He appeared to be waiting for this Jess person to arrive, so I decided to get his perspective on his job if he'd give it.

"I was in the private sector at a think tank for five years before I got sick of it. I've been here for two years. This job is much more conducive to starting a family, and Vick was hammering on me about her biological clock. What do you think? This boring shit cut out for you?" he asked as he leaned against the counter in my cubicle and picked up one of the reports I hadn't gotten to yet, flipping through it absentmindedly.

_That_ was the big question…was this boring shit cut out for me? If I did what I thought I wanted to do, which was get into the music business somehow, it could take for-fucking-ever to find any type of success and make any kind of money to be able to support myself, much less a family. And, even that wasn't guaranteed.

The security of a job similar to the one I was doing that summer would offer a much better chance for the life I hoped Bella and I could have together. I had narrowed down the questions we needed to consider…we just needed to come up with the answers together.

"That's kind of what I'm trying to figure out. I mean, Bella's still got three years of undergrad, and I don't know if she's considered going to grad school or not. I've got one year left for my undergrad, and I'm at the place where I need to decide about where I want to go to grad school. My parents want me to go to Oxford, but I don't want to go to England for a few years. That's kind of what I'm trying to figure out," I answered honestly.

"Shit, Oxford? With that sheepskin, kid, you could have your pick of any job in the industry," he suggested. I was aware of that; I just wanted to decide if the _industry_ was one where I wanted to be.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I replied just as a big-titted broad came bouncing into my cubicle. I wouldn't ordinarily refer to a woman in such a derogatory fashion, but her tits were huge, and they were just out there…and they were right in my line of vision.

"Ah, Jess. This is Cullen, a data savant. He's found some issues with the large-bank reports, and you're going to sit right here with him and let him show you what they are. Then you're going to figure out if it's our fault, the institutions' fault, or a data collection glitch. If it's us, I'm going to be eating a lot of crow with the other agencies who grab the data from us, so I want to know who fucked it up so I can chew on someone's ass. I need something to show Jack by tomorrow. The two of you are allowed to get up from this desk to use the john, grab a drink, or leave in the event of a fire. Otherwise, nobody leaves until I know what the fuck happened. Thanks," he called as he left us.

Shit…Bella would have already left Dad's office to get downtown for lunch. I needed to send her a text so that she didn't come all the way into the city for a lunch date that I wasn't going to be able to keep. "Okay, I'm going to go grab my laptop and a chair. I'll be right back. Oh, my name is Jessica, by the way," she introduced herself and stuck out her hand.

I stood up and shook it. "Edward Cullen. Sorry for messing up your day," I responded.

She smiled at me, and I could have sworn that she pushed her huge breasts together a bit more. "I wouldn't say it was _ruined_," she flirted. She bounced away, and I quickly pulled out my phone.

_**Baby, I can't do lunch. Something came up at work, and I can't get away. I'll let you know later what time I'll be getting home. ILY E**_

I hit the send button and quickly went to the restroom. As I stood at the urinal relieving myself of the four cups of coffee I'd already downed that day, I thought about the situation. I was glad I'd sent the text to Bella because if she saw that woman flirting with me, I was pretty sure that my nuts would be in formaldehyde in a jelly jar on the nightstand by the end of the night.

##

"…so the onion went right down my top. The idiot had the gall to just reach into my cleavage and retrieve it. Can you believe that?" Jess asked. We'd been at it…the work shit…for three hours, and I was in a Coco Chanel-induced fog. I recognized the scent because my mom wore it. Unfortunately, the woman whom I was working with wore enough fucking cologne that it could have choked a goddamn Clydesdale, and I knew that shit had already seeped through my clothes and into my pores.

Bella was never going to understand that it was casual contact that caused me to reek. If she came home smelling like men's cologne after a day at work, I wouldn't believe something fucking shady hadn't happened.

"Yeah, um, some guys are rude like that," I added, trying to get her to turn her attention back to the computer screens in front of us and off of my lips and my crotch. I was beginning to wonder if she had a lazy eye or something because she kept glancing down at my zipper and licking her lips, making me quite uncomfortable. I determined she needed a refresher in workplace sexual harassment because I felt like I needed a fucking shower.

"I bet you're not like that, not that I'd actually stop you if you reached into…" she began in a low voice when we both heard a throat clear behind us. I didn't give a shit who was standing there. Someone was getting a great big fucking kiss from me…well, in the most professional manner possible.

"Here he is," I heard as I turned my chair around to see Jim Turner standing at the entrance to my cube with…Bella…Bella who had a look on her face that told me I'd be spankin' it solo for quite a while. That is, if I had anything left to spank by the time she got done with me.

"Well, hello, _honey_. I felt sorry for you being chained to your desk, so I picked you up some lunch. I wanted to get Dr. Turner's pictures to him, so I took a chance and came by. He was kind enough to escort me up. I'm sorry I didn't bring enough for _two_," Bella quipped sarcastically. _Oh, hell…move over Rover…Daddy needs a place to sleep._

"Is this your sister?" Jessica gushed. She really was a brainless twit. How she graduated from Vassar was a fucking "_48 Hours Mystery_" to me.

"No, no. This is my girlfriend, Bella. Bella, this is my co-worker, Jessica. We've been reviewing…" I began as Bella chucked the bag at my head and turned to Jim.

"Thanks, Dr. Turner. If there are any of those pictures that you want reprints or enlargements, call me and I'll take care of it. Riley is an adorable baby. Have a nice afternoon," she called as she turned and quickly stormed away.

"Um, Cullen, you'd better go make sure she doesn't get lost. If you've never been here before, it's easy to get confused," Jim suggested. I took off like a fucking shot and caught up to her at the elevator.

"Babe, wait. I have to escort you out," I told her. I could see the steam coming out of her ears, and I knew exactly how pissed off she was. I most certainly could have used some of Emmett's colorful advice at that point in time.

"So, what was she inviting you to fish out of her tits?" Bella snapped as the elevator opened. Of course, it was fucking full, and everyone heard her say "tits."

"We'll just, um, take the stairs," I told them as I grabbed her hand and led her to the stairwell. If I was going to get an ass chewing from my girlfriend at work, I really didn't want people with whom I'd only worked a couple of weeks to hear it. A private spanking was a lot more appealing than a public ass kicking.

Once we were down a flight and on the landing, I stopped her. "Honey, I wasn't doing anything wrong. She was flirting with me, and I had no idea how to stop her without causing a problem. You know me better than to doubt that I only love _you_. Fuck, she's like thirty," I defended.

"You seemed to be getting an eyeful," she complained. I knew what it looked like, but hell, they were just…_there_. I was pretty sure that the guys in the International Space Station were getting a fucking eyeful when she walked down South Wacker Drive.

"Look, I'm going to have to work with and for women, and you're going to have to trust me, okay? You're the only girl for me. You're the girl I love, and you're the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, okay? If you don't trust me…and I'll remind you that I've never given you a goddamn reason not to…then we need to have a long talk," I reasoned, hoping that anything I was saying was hitting home with her. _Fuck if I knew._

I saw her look down at the concrete stairs for a minute, and then look back at me. "I'm sorry. It's just that she was so damn inappropriate and blatantly hitting on you. You didn't seem to hate the attention," she whispered. I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll go back and talk to her, and I'll make certain she understands that I'm taken, okay? I'm sorry that she behaved that way, but this is the first time I've run into shit like this in a business setting. I'm not exactly sure what the proper channels are for dealing with it, but I'll ask Turner when I get back upstairs," I offered.

"Jesus Fuck…you stink. What the hell is that?" she asked as she pulled away with a screwed-up look on her perfect face just as I suspected.

"I don't know. Some cheap cologne shit. I swear it's just seeping into my skin from sitting next to her. The smell is actually killing me," I confessed. She chuckled.

"A suggestion for you, my handsome young Cullen…tell that woman you're allergic to her cologne. Start sniffling and coughing a little. That way, if you have to work with her very often, you can ask her not to wear it. When you get home, I'll give you a bath," she teased as she palmed my cock through my trousers which was starting to pick-up steam much to my enjoyment and dismay.

I enjoyed the attention and looked forward to the evening, but a hard-on wasn't what I needed to go back to my desk with at all. The way Jessica had been eyeing my cock led me to believe that she'd notice it, and she'd probably offer to give me a hand…literally. That was just gross.

"I look forward to it, but you really don't want me to go back up there with a hard-on, do you?" I asked as I kissed her neck, not helping my situation any. She smelled so fucking much better than the gallon of cologne Jessica bathed in, there was no comparison.

Bella giggled, which again, wasn't helping my situation. "Sorry. Okay, get me out of here so that you can get back to work with Tits McGee. Your dad told me that he and your mom are going to some sort of a meeting tonight, so I'll be cooking dinner. I put out steaks after your mom left this morning," Bella told me. Ah, yet another reason to get the fuck home. A decent, _edible_ meal with the woman I loved.

We hurried downstairs, and I walked her to security, turning in her visitor's pass and kissing her good-bye. When the elevator stopped on the third floor, Jim was pacing with his hands in his pants' pockets. He looked really pissed off, and I hoped it wasn't because of Bella or me. "Jim?" I asked as I stepped off the elevator, holding the door in case he was waiting for it.

"Oh, good. I wasn't sure if you'd come back or not. I talked to Jessica about her behavior, and I truly want to apologize. She has some, uh, boundary issues, and I've talked to her about that shit before. I've moved her to another project, and I'll get Eric to sit with you. He's familiar with the reports, and I think the two of you can get it done without much bullshit. I didn't call him in the first place because he had a doctor's appointment this morning, but he's in now. Please apologize to Bella, and don't hold Jessica up as an example of how we treat our interns. This isn't the fucking White House," he joked.

I felt a lot better about everything. I thanked him and went back to my desk, finding a pale, skinny guy with glasses looking through the reports on my desk. "Hi," I greeted.

He turned and looked at me, laughing hysterically. I wiped my hands across my mouth in case I had something on it, and waited for an explanation. I turned to my desk to see my sandwich that Bella had brought for me which reminded me that I hadn't eaten, and I waited for the asshole to stop laughing.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked as I pulled my chair back and sat down. He took off his glasses and wiped tears. I, however, found nothing funny what-so-fucking-ever.

"I'm sorry, kid. I'm Eric Yorkie. I wondered why the fuck Jessica was cussing and slamming shit around in here after Jim sent me to replace her. I get it now, stupid slut," he offered in a low voice. I didn't know what any of that meant, but I was just glad she was fucking gone.

"Okay. So, do I need to show you what we've found so far?" I asked as I opened my sandwich seeing it was an Italian sub from the shop near my father's office. Someone had clued my girl in on my favorite place and my favorite sandwich. I owed her big time for it, which my tongue would gladly repay on her clit.

"No, let's just continue where you were. I can go back and pick up the other shit on my own and get Jim a memo. We'll get this done as fast as possible because I'm guessing that the girl I saw storming down the hallway earlier is your girlfriend, and she's probably pretty pissed if she walked up on Jessica's little act. Let's get you out of here," he offered. _Thank fucking Christ._

\\\

_**E/N: Scorp mentioned that she had a run-in with a cologne cloud at a coffee shop! Any of you?**_

_**Can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thank you for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: So happy you're enjoying the story! Thank you!**_

_**Thanks to my fabulous beta, Scorpio11. Her assistance is greatly appreciated.**_

_**SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No infringement intended.**_

_**Let's go…**_

_**\\\**_

19. "I Got You Babe"

"_Now boarding Group A for Flight 1022 to Las Vegas_," we heard called over the loud speaker at O'Hare. It was July, and I'd taken off a couple of days from work so we could have at least four days in Vegas.

"Anybody need a Valium for the flight?" Garrett, the stupid fucking dick, asked. He was afraid to fly, and I could tell he'd already smoked a joint before he and Katie ever arrived at the airport. I saw no need for additional medication for him or anyone else.

The whole fucking situation required medication, but not the flight itself. We had reservations at _Caesar's Palace_, and arrangements had been made. The discussions that had taken place among the four of us were like a goddamn Teamster contract negotiation, and female hormones did absolutely nothing to help the situation. When we got home, our parents were going to be pissed, and there was no two ways about it.

"I still think…" Bella began. I squeezed her lips closed because I was really tired of hearing her bitching. Loved her with all my heart, but she had the potential to turn into a nagging harpy if things didn't completely go her way, and I wasn't looking forward to a lifetime of it. _The things we do for love._

"I told you, suck it up. This is the best way to handle it, and that's what's being done. God, it's a shame you won't take a Valium," Katie bitched. She was plucking my last fucking nerve as well.

To be blunt…I was in hell. It was self-induced hell, to be fair, but it was hell nonetheless. And with what we'd be met when we got back to Chicago, it was just the first circle of hell. That return trip and the announcements would be the descent into the seventh circle at least.

We settled into our seats, and nobody was speaking. It wasn't the ideal way to start out the rest of your life, but I supposed, given the circumstances, it was unavoidable.

Fifteen minutes into the flight, three of my traveling companions were sleeping, and I was fucking grateful. Over the past two weeks, the only thing that seemed to have gone right was the fact that Bella and I didn't need condoms any longer.

Unfortunately, some of that reason was because we weren't having sex very often. Bella was so stressed that she wasn't always in the mood, and hell, I was always in the fucking mood, so we weren't getting along as well as we should have been.

I closed my eyes and replayed a conversation I'd never wanted to have in my lifetime, but the conversation was the reason we were on the fucking plane in the first place.

"_Look, I'm pregnant. I didn't intend for it to happen, but I fucked up my pills, and well, here we are. I think the best thing to do is get married first and just tell everyone about it after the fact. I know how pissed off they're all going to be, but in my mind, this is no one's decision but ours. I know that Mom and Dad would want me to have an abortion because I'm young and I'm still in college, but I absolutely refuse," she informed._

_I, however, was bent at the waist trying not to puke on my shoes. She'd caught me right when I got home from work because the house was empty, and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting to hear._

"_So, marriage then? Where? God, I'm gonna be…" I asked._

"_Vegas. With everyone being so fucking busy, the most we can have is a long weekend, so I think it's best. If I didn't have to fucking work, we could stay an extra couple of days, but you know my boss…God, I'm such a fucking idiot," she began crying. Fucking tears. That was not at all going to help the situation, but I certainly wasn't going to argue with a pregnant woman. I loved her, and I'd support her. It wasn't even a question._

##

"How in the hell did you let her set it up like this? I mean, come on, _Sonny and Cher_?" Bella complained for the hundredth fucking time.

"Look, just go with it. There will be a big fucking party in Chicago, I'm sure. I actually think it's cute, and Katie's gone to a lot of trouble," I offered. We were standing at the back of the chapel waiting for our turn. It really was fucking ridiculous, but at the end of it, there would be a marriage and that was all that mattered. Then, in several months, there would be a baby. I was pretty certain that when the parents found out, they'd be pissed, but I hoped it wouldn't be too long before they all got on board the baby bus. Hell, I was giddy as a fucking schoolgirl about it once my head caught up to it.

"Okay, next," _Cher _called. The four of us turned to the front and faced _Sonny_. The only thing that really pissed me off about the whole situation was that Garrett was there, but I didn't really have a lot of say in the matter.

We all walked down the aisle, me with Katie and Bella with Garrett, and as we stood facing the…well, what the fuck ever he was…I was thinking about the ramifications of it all when I probably should have been paying attention. When that stupid fucking song began playing…_"I Got You Babe"_…I snickered, seeing the look of disdain on Bella's face as she stood next to my sister. I was pretty sure it would be stuck in my head for the rest of my life.

We all settled in and waited for _Sonny_ to begin. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to join this man and this woman in matrimony…" he started.

I sort of zoned out and thought about Bella's and my future. I'd actually decided the job I had over the summer wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, and the fucking benefits were incredible. It was exactly what would be the best for a family. I made up my mind I was going to go to Booth at the University of Chicago, and hopefully, I could talk Bella into transferring to Columbia where my sister attended.

It would be good to be around family, and considering there were no colleges near Bluefield anyway, we could be around mine…that is if my parents didn't go into shock with the news they'd hear when we all returned to Chicago on Monday afternoon.

"Do you have the rings?" _Sonny_ asked. I pulled them out of my jacket pocket and handed them to the man.

"These are cool," he remarked. They were quite unique. They were actually Claddagh rings with diamonds in the hearts that were held between the hands. I thought they were pretty cool.

"Okay, repeat after me. I, Garrett Andrew, take you, Katelyn Elizabeth, to be my lawfully wedded wife…" the minister began. I looked at Bella as the vows were exchanged, and we smiled at each other. It wouldn't be the way our wedding would ever go, but it couldn't come soon enough in my opinion.

She'd eventually talked me off the limb of eloping and telling our parents that we were expecting. Well, actually, when Katie told me that's what the hell was _actually_ going on in her life, it would have been redundant for us to do it, so we decided that we were just going to stand up to our parents and claim our independence when the time came. I secretly hoped the fucking shock of my sister's situation would have my parents in such a goddamn tailspin they wouldn't give a flying fuck what I did with my life.

If they cut me off, then I'd work at a fucking pizzeria for my senior-year expenses, and Bella had already saved almost everything that she'd made working for Dad. I was tucking away all of my paychecks, save what we would spend in Vegas that I didn't charge on my emergency credit card for Katie's wedding, and we'd just work it out.

Bella decided she could get some side jobs as a photographer or even an assistant, and we were prepared to make our own way. Someday, we'd get married, and eventually, we'd have our own family, but at the moment it wasn't about us…it was about my baby sister.

"With the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I pronounce you husband and wife," _Sonny_ announced.

Garrett leaned in to kiss my sister, and the doors at the back of the chapel flew open. It was my parents, Bella's parents, her grandmother, Emmett and Rosalie. "STOP!" Mom yelled. I hated to break it to her, but she was just a minute too late.

Bella looked at me, and I shrugged. I had no idea how the odd group had gotten there either, but there they were. I could see a bunch of pissed off people storming down the aisle, and I knew immediately that they'd all gotten the impression Bella and I were getting married, not Katie and Garrett. Bella had been hesitant for me to officially meet her parents as her boyfriend, and while it wasn't an ideal circumstance for it to happen, they were here, and time was up.

After all of the fucking confusion died down and the tears and shouting stopped…mostly from my father…I had a few questions. We left my parents with Katie and Garrett in the chapel, and we walked out into the hallway to talk. I had my arm around Bella's shoulders as her parents, grandmother, and Emmett grilled us about what the hell had happened, and after we were allowed to speak, we explained it to them.

"Katie's pregnant, and she was certain that Carlisle and Esme would force her to terminate the pregnancy so she took matters into her own hands. How'd you even find us?" Bella asked with a bite in her voice I was grateful wasn't directed at me.

"Esme called Emmett and told him about the plane tickets, and he called me. I was able to talk to a buddy who tracked you through your cell. So you two aren't getting married?" The Chief asked, eyeing me carefully.

"Not right now, but in the future, hopefully. Look, we actually contemplated it because you and the Cullens seem to believe you're going to direct our lives. We have our own ideas about what we want, and while we love you, you won't be _living_ our lives. _We will._ I love Edward, and I believe…" she started, looking at me for confirmation.

"I love your daughter with all my heart, Chief. She's it for me. We're prepared to make our own way, but we hope we'll have your support. We'll definitely do it without your financial assistance, but we hope we'll have your emotional support. We're both going to finish school, and we're planning a future together," I finished.

They all looked at each other, and I saw Emmett chuckle. "So, we're not related yet? You gonna go back to school and start hittin' on me again," he joked.

"You're a di…moron," I answered. I saw Charlie laugh, as did Marie, Bella's grandmother, but Mrs. S didn't seem to find any of it funny.

"So, what does this all mean? You know, Bella, we don't _have_ to co-sign for your student loans," Mrs. S threatened. I didn't get her animosity toward Bella, but I really didn't know the Swans very well. I could see Bella's grandmother was all kinds of pissed off at the comment, and I was actually happy someone seemed to have my girl's back besides me.

"It means, Mother, Edward and I will be living together when we get back to school. It means I've been in Chicago working for Dr. Cullen to make money, and I'm staying at their house over the summer. I was at Gran's and…" Bella began. Marie held up her hand for Bella to stop talking. Marie took her hand, squeezing it and stepping next to her to face Charlie and Renee.

"I gave her my car and told her to get lost. I'm not a damn invalid, and I didn't need her following me around with a mopey face all summer. I couldn't receive gentlemen callers, and I'm able to take care of myself. Not only do you and Charlie need to butt out of Bella's life…you need to butt out of _mine_. As long as I'm above ground, I'll be making my own decisions. Sentencing Bella to a summer of babysitting Grandma was in poor form, you two, and with regard to Bella's student loans, I'll co-sign the damn things. You two have always favored Emmett over Bella, and it's about time someone else stepped up to the plate," Marie chastised.

I felt Bella chuckling next to me, and I had to fight the urge to laugh because one thing I'd learned over time was that a child is a child, regardless of age. Charlie Swan might be in his late forties, but his mother was still his mother, and she loved my girl. I certainly didn't want to give him another reason to hate me, so I quelled the urge to crack up.

"We don't favor Bella over Emmett, and I resent the implication," Mrs. S began. Marie held her hand up and stopped her dead in her tracks.

"I'm not the only one who knows it, so don't think your pulling the wool over anyone's eyes, Renee. Charles, if you had a backbone, you'd never allow your wife to run you around like a dog with your tail between your legs," Marie accused. I could see that the Chief was pissed at the comment, but he didn't say anything.

"Actually, Ma, you do sorta favor me over Bells. You guys send me spending money, and you don't help Bells at all," Emmett pointed out, which shocked the fuck out of me.

"Your sister can take care of herself, Emmett. You've got a lot of pressure on you regarding your scholarship and your grades. You have enough to do without worrying about a job. Now, Bella, you need to explain to me why you lied to us all this time about being in Muncie," Charlie snapped.

"I lied because you two wouldn't have listened to reason if I'd presented the situation to you. When I mentioned it back in the spring, you both blew me off. And you're right…I don't need your help at all," Bella snapped back.

With that, she grabbed my hand and the two of us stormed away. I didn't know how it would play out with her folks, but I was proud of her for standing up for herself. At least one of us had balls.

##

After the "Swanish Inquisition," it was my turn at bat. My parents were going to grill my chestnuts like it was Christmas because I was the older, more mature, brother who had supported his twenty-year-old sister in getting married. What they didn't know was I planned to flip the script on them. Their shit with Katie was their shit with Katie. If they wanted my commentary regarding why she chose to get married without them there, I'd give it to them, but it was going to be about me first.

We had a rather uncomfortable dinner at _Mesa Grill_ in almost-celebration of Katie and Garrett's wedding. The Swan contingent was staying at the "Flamingo," and my parents were staying at the "Bellagio" which was connected to "Caesar's" by the Forum Shops. I was glad we'd clarified that everyone except for the four of us was leaving the next day.

After dinner was over, my parents commanded Katie and me to return to their room with them. I told Bella to go with Rose and Emmett to gamble or to wait for me in our room, but God love her, she stated, "Nope. You stood by me with mine. I'm there for you with yours." Thankfully, Garrett manned up and stuck by my sister, and the six of us went to my parents' room to go at it.

"Let's sit," my father ordered. It was a side of Carlisle Cullen I'd never witnessed. I was guessing the defiance he was seeing with his two children was something he wasn't used to either.

"So, um, Katelyn and Garrett, you do realize…" my father began.

I stood up and took off my suit jacket, tossing it on the couch. "Me first. I believe anything you have to say to the newlyweds should wait because, hell, they're already married. It's too late for you to do anything about it, so anything you say is going to cause a rift in the family. I'd almost guess you won't see your grandchild for a long time if that happens. I think you need to think about that before you say something we'll all regret.

"Now, I have absolutely no intentions of going to Oxford for my graduate degree. I don't give a shit if you don't sign over my trust fund because Bella and I are prepared to pay our own way. We'll get jobs and take care of ourselves, so you no longer have money to hold over my head.

"I love this woman. You might think we're too young and we don't know what we're in for, and I suppose you're right, but…at the end of the day, I'm twenty-two and Bella's nineteen. Yeah, we're young, but we know we love each other, and we don't need a house on Ridgeland Avenue to be happy. We can live in a one-room studio on the Southside of Chicago, and as long as we're together, we'll be happy. Donate my trust fund to one of your fucking charities. We've got each other, and we'll be fine," I told them.

I took Bella's hand and led her from the couch, and we walked out, leaving them stunned. It was about time I stood up to my parents, and I was actually proud of myself for so doing. I was pretty fucking sure the panic would set in later.

\\\

_**E/N: So, um, thoughts?**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	20. Chapter 20

**_Okay, SMeyer owns…disclaimed…_**

**_\\\_**

20. Naked Sundays

##

**_Don't come back yet. I need a few more minutes. Trust me…it'll be worth it. B_**

I was standing in the casino, sweaty and out of breath, looking completely out of place because I'd gone for a run that Sunday morning to try to get rid of some of the tension I was feeling. We'd bid mine and Bella's parents good-bye the day before. Emmett and Rosalie hadn't emerged again after the wedding dinner, and I hadn't gotten laid the whole time I was in Vegas because Bella was on her period. I hoped to hell she was finished with it, but if she wasn't I didn't fucking care. We could have sex in the shower and just wash it all right down the drain.

We hadn't seen Katie and Garrett since the after-the-wedding dinner either, not that I expected we would. They were on their fucking honeymoon, and hell, if it was my honeymoon and my new wife was pregnant with my child, I wouldn't let her out of bed until the baby came.

I went to one of the bars in the casino and got a bottle of water, and then went to the elevator, having decided I could sit outside the door until she was ready for me. I walked down the hallway, sinking into the floor and guzzling the water. Las Vegas was fucking hot in July…not that _that_ was a newsflash.

I was contemplating what she might be doing when I heard the elevator ding. It was a waiter with a food service cart, and he was coming my way. I got up and stood next to the door, seeing him staring at me like I was a fucking rapist. "It's my room. My girlfriend is planning a surprise," I offered unnecessarily. He didn't really seem to give a shit one way or another.

He knocked on the door, and I moved down the hall a bit so that Bella wouldn't see me. "Oh, come in, please," she called. The guy looked down the hall in my direction and smirked, walking into the room. I wondered what the fuck she was wearing, and as I was about to just go in without waiting he came back out with the same fucking smirk.

He walked to where I was standing and said, "Dude, if that's your girl, you're a lucky son-of-a-bitch." Without waiting for my response, he walked to the elevator, laughing and shaking his head. Just as I was going to chase his stupid ass and beat him senseless, my phone pinged.

**_Red Rover, Red Rover, send Edward right over…B_**

I sprinted down the hall and slipped my cardkey in the door, hearing the click and shoving it open. I walked through the short hallway and saw Bella sitting at a table, appearing to be completely nude. The table was covered in silver domed dishes with a lit candle in the center, and the drapes were closed, making the room darker than it should have been for 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning.

"Um, what's this?" I asked stupidly. _Not always the brightest bulb in the lamp, unfortunately_. _How I had a 3.95 GPA was probably suspect to anyone who really knew me._

"This would be the first of many Naked Sunday breakfasts. It's a new thing I'm introducing. You have a problem with that?" she asked. _Oh…fuck…no._

"Give me five minutes," I called as I ran to the bathroom, peeling my clothes off on the way and skidding to a halt once inside. I turned on the shower, lathered my face to shave, and squeezed toothpaste on my toothbrush nearly at the same time.

Unfortunately, I wasn't ambidextrous. I tried to shave with my left hand until I actually took a breath and decided maybe I didn't want to slit my throat that morning, so I changed hands and shaved with my right hand, albeit half-assed, and brushed my teeth with my left. When both tasks were poorly done, I jumped into the shower and quickly washed me and my hair, ignoring my hard-on. _Let's face it, if your girlfriend was implementing Naked Sunday anything, would you waste time jacking off alone?_

After I quickly toweled off, I ran my fingers through my hair, wrapped a towel around my waist to hide my hard-on, and burst out of the bathroom to find her sipping orange juice and watching CNN. Thankfully, she was still naked.

I sat down in the chair she'd pulled up and waited like a fangirl at a Beiber concert. "So, um, what exactly will Naked Sundays entail?" I asked, trying to play off the crack in my voice.

She stood from her chair, and oh, Mary, Mother of God, she was gorgeous. I'd seen her naked…though not nearly enough…but seeing her naked by candlelight was a new thing. When she walked over to my side of the table, I was treated to seeing her in all her naked glory with the exception of black thigh high hose and black heels I doubted she could walk in more than three feet, but oh, fuck, she looked incredible.

She stopped in front of me, tits in my face, and I stared at her nipples. _Really, I saw her gorgeous brown eyes all the time, but I didn't get to see her nipples often, and they were right there, and hell, shouldn't they be admired just as much as her eyes?_

I opened the towel, and pulled her down onto my lap. "So, Naked Sundays?" I asked as I kissed her shoulder. She crossed her legs seductively and looked into my eyes, making me feel like the luckiest mother fucker on the planet.

"Well, after our discussion with the families, I thought we could find a smaller, one-bedroom place for just us, and then we could have Naked Sundays, or hell, it could be Naked Tuesday nights. I wouldn't give a shit whatsoever," she commented. _Oh, man, was I on board with that logic_.

I picked up her small frame and pulled her to straddle my lap, my cock dancing right at her entrance, ready to make his presence known. "I really, really need to know which appetite you want to feed first," I ordered.

My voice didn't sound like my own, but hell, I wasn't surprised because I was more turned on than I was sure I'd ever been in my life. I was just glad it was deeper, and I didn't sound like a fourteen-year-old boy in the middle of puberty.

"Well, we actually have a microwave in the room," she quipped. With those words, I pulled her onto me and sighed at the sensation without the fucking condom.

"Sheesh," she gasped. I was quite happy with the gasp.

"I think I'm going to love Naked Sundays," I responded as my lips met hers and my hands continued to move her on me. When her feet found traction on the floor in those fucking shoes, she took over, and I just held onto her hips for the ride. _And, oh, St. Patrick, what a ride._

I had no idea the gorgeous innocent angel on my lap was capable of saying, "Mother of…Fuck…I love your cock. It fills me up and…Oh, hell." I truly loved the colorful commentary.

My mouth made itself known to her tits, and I thought they were much better than red velvet cake. When we both gasped at the end of it, I held her on my lap when she started to get up. "Nope. Even if we do it in a chair, a car, behind a park bench, against a wall in the library, we're still going to have a little bit of cuddling…well, unless the authorities are on their way, then we go home and cuddle. Sorry, love, but unfortunately for you, I've become a cuddler, so suck it up," I told her as I held her close to me enjoying the feel of her naked body next to mine. It was in-fucking-credible. _This is gonna be a good life…_

##

"So, it's not really very big…it's just two rooms, but at least it's ours," Bella suggested as she showed me around the small apartment she'd found midway between Notre Dame and Stovers. The rent was reasonable…$500 a month…and we could both take public transportation to our respective campuses. At that point in time, I didn't really give a shit where we lived. The summer had been trying with both of us fighting with our parents, and it would be great to be alone, together.

After we got back from Vegas, we finished out the summer at my parents' place, and it was really fucking tense. We tried to stay out of the house as much as possible, but Bella worked for my dad and couldn't avoid him. She said he wasn't obnoxious to her at work, but when the four of us were home at the same time, there was little conversation. We were quite happy when it was time to go back to school.

Marie actually flew back to Chicago from Vegas and picked up her car so we didn't have to make the drive to Muncie, thank fuck. She was the only adult in either of the families who was supportive of us at all, and we truly appreciated her.

We'd talked to Emmett and Rosalie, and they were going to keep the apartment Emmett and I had shared. Rosalie had the money to cover the rent, and apparently, her parents loved Emmett, so they'd be fine with supporting the two of them. Charlie and Renee weren't going to help his ass any longer.

My parents…the wannabe hippies of Oak Park, Illinois…had cut me off completely. Not covering my school expenses any longer. No car insurance which was going to cost me out the ass. No credit card…because they were really pissed that I'd put the Vegas wedding stuff on mine, along with my bail that Katie had put on hers about which they knew nothing. They didn't buy my excuse that putting the expenses on my credit card was like they were paying for her wedding. All that comment did was piss them off even more.

Thankfully, my tuition was covered by the college fund that had been established outside of my trust fund, so I didn't have to worry about school, but Bella did. Because we were going to live together at school, Charlie and Renee had refused to co-sign for her student loans for her last two years of college but thankfully, they were too late to have the money pulled for her sophomore year. That meant she was going to have to save every fucking penny she could get her hands on to try to cover school expenses and future tuition.

She'd refused to take Marie up on her offer to co-sign for her, which didn't really surprise me. I wasn't sure what the hell we were going to do, but whatever it was, we were doing it together.

"Um, does all of this stuff come with it?" I asked, looking around at the shitty furniture and trying to keep from concentrating on who had lived there before us and what they'd done on said shitty furniture. A black light inspection was in order, but if I ever took that next step into germ phobia, we'd never find anywhere to live, I was certain.

"Yeah. Look, we can rent a steam cleaner and clean the couch and the carpet. I'll scrub the place top to bottom with disinfectant. We can get one of those waterproof mattress covers and then a nice mattress pad for the bed. We'll have to buy some dishes, pots, and pans, but we can get that stuff at Walmart when we have extra money. It's not Ridgeland Avenue, but it's us on our own," she outlined with an unusually perky voice as she walked around the living room/dining room/kitchenette area describing her plans.

I took a deep breath and looked around. It sure wasn't a palace, but she was right. It was us on our own, figuring it out. "Well, actually, all of the stuff at the apartment is mine. Rosalie's family is loaded, and they'll likely replace anything I want to take, so we're not using this shit. We'll bring what we want and need from there, and then we can sell the rest of it on Craig's List, but I damn well refuse to sleep on a mattress where God only knows what's happened. Sorry, sweetheart, but I've got my line in the sand," I responded.

"Oh, thank God. I was trying to be optimistic for your benefit, but I think I'd drive myself insane if we used this shit. I'll tell the landlord we want it unfurnished and have them get the stuff out as soon as possible. Then I can get in here and clean it before we move. What do you think?" she asked with a look of relief on her face.

"I'll help you. We're partners, remember? I've got my part-time tutoring job which will pay some stuff, and if I have to, I'll fucking deliver pizza, okay? We'll make it work," I assured. How we'd make it work I hadn't figured out, but I just had a feeling we would. We'd eat a lot of Ramen, but at least we'd eat it together.

##

A week later found Bella on her hands and knees…and not in the good, ass-slapping, "who's your Daddy" way. She was scrubbing the kitchen down with some sort of bleach cocktail that was probably toxic, and I was steam cleaning the living/dining room carpet. They'd emptied the old shit out of the apartment, and we were going to be moving in the next day. Monday brought the start of classes and the start of a part-time job at an office supply store that I'd scored. It wasn't glamorous, but it was a paycheck.

My father, the dick, had called to remind me they wouldn't be covering my rent at the old apartment, and I'd have to figure it out myself unless I came to my senses and applied to Oxford. He'd left that little gem on my voicemail because I hit the ignore button on my fucking cell when I saw the caller ID.

My cell was something else they weren't covering anymore. Thankfully, Bella's plan was up for renewal, and we were able to consolidate and cut back on our data plan which made it a lot more affordable. We'd decided not to get cable television so we could afford to get WiFi, otherwise, we'd be spending most evenings at the library or at Starbuck's to be able to do homework.

I'd cut my car insurance back to liability, which was really a sin because my car was great, but it cut the fucking bill in half so I wasn't complaining. I'd contemplated selling the car and buying something used, but Bella pointed out it was new, paid for, and low maintenance, so I decided to keep it. I was actually relieved after she'd pointed it out.

"Oh, guess what?" she called as she was cleaning out the inside of the refrigerator with some high-powered shit. We'd have to leave the windows open when we left because the smell had to be fucking lethal in the place, but that was okay because they were screened, and we didn't plan to use the A/C anyway…too expensive.

I was learning some hard lessons, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was a good thing the fucking silver spoon had been mercilessly jerked out of my mouth without warning. Everyone didn't have a trust fund. Everyone didn't have wealthy parents who covered their expenses. God only knew my girl didn't. I was looking at my newfound poverty as a chance for personal growth…otherwise, I'd be walking around with a rope looking for a sturdy tree branch.

"What?" I asked after I turned off the _Stanley Steamer_ we'd rented at the grocery store. I'd never used anything like it in my life, but Bella knew exactly how to work the fucker. I was learning all kinds of shit from her, and I sure as hell was hot for teacher.

"I've got an interview tomorrow at the bookstore. It's at 7:00 in the morning because one of the employees quit abruptly, and they need someone to start tomorrow. Angela was able to get me the interview because she's working there this year. It pays minimum wage, but I get a discount which will help with book fees. You should give me your booklist and let me see if we have any of them at our campus. Maybe I can get them for you at a discount," she suggested.

My little penny pincher looked fucking hot with her hair in braids wearing one of my old t-shirts and a pair of cutoff sweats that showed the bottom of her ass when she was bent over scrubbing the bottom of the small refrigerator. My cock certainly took notice of it.

"Babe, I already have my books, but thanks. I ordered them while we were in Chicago. They're the last thing Mom and Dad paid for, and I'm going to take advantage of that shit. They can afford full price, but if I need anything else, I'll let you know. I've gotta stop by _Office Max _and pick up my shirts tomorrow anyway, so I'll drop you off at Stovers and pick you up if you don't get the job. If you do, I guess I'll just make sure our stuff gets here, and you and I will have to unpack as we have time," I responded.

She rose from the floor and pulled off the rubber gloves she was wearing, tossing them into the kitchen sink, which was the last thing she was going to sanitize. Unfortunately, I drew the short straw and had to do the bathroom, but she'd worked so fucking hard in the kitchen I couldn't let her do the bathroom, as well.

She walked over to the edge of the carpet and placed her hands on her hips. "It looks okay, right?" she sighed, pointing to the shitty carpet. It didn't look okay. God only knew what the fuck some of the stains were because I was willing to bet some of them were blood spatter. At least we knew it was sanitized, and we didn't have to wear shoes in our own fucking house.

The joint was never going to be on _Cribs_ but it wouldn't be _that_ bad…or so I kept telling myself. In reality, it was about the size of my bedroom in Oak Park. My senior year would certainly be a lesson in humility.

"Honey, this carpet looks like hell but it's clean…at least, let's tell ourselves it is. After we get our stuff in here, it'll be fine. You know, I'd live with you in a fucking shoe if I had to," I joked as I walked over to where she stood and picked her up, kissing her. We were both disgustingly sweaty and gritty from all of the cleaning, but that didn't stop me from holding her close, reminding myself why I was doing all of this in the first place.

After a heated kiss, she pulled away with her arms around my neck and her feet locked behind my ass. "Are you _sure_ you're all right with this?" she asked. Fuck, she didn't need to ask me. _That_ was a goddamn no-brainer.

"I am more than all right with this, okay. I love you, and the fact I get to wake up every morning with you in my arms makes all of this worth it. Hell, we're building character," I joked as I sucked on her neck, tasting the light sheen of sweat and Bella's own taste which was like the finest wine.

"Tonight when we get back to the apartment, we're going to have one last bath in that big tub because all we have is that fucking shower stall, and we're going to fuck like monkeys because tomorrow night, we'll both be so damn exhausted we won't be able to do anything," she whispered as I continued sucking on her neck, likely leaving a mark. Well, at least if there were any guys who worked at the fucking bookstore, they'd know she was taken.

"You, my love, are a fucking genius," I told her when I finally detached my lips from her gorgeous neck, vowing to myself to make sure her beautiful tits had marks to match her neck by the time I got through with her that night.

\\\

_********__E/N: Poor Eddie…he's tackling whole new lifestyle. So?_  


_**E/N: So, um, thoughts?**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N: I'll make this short. Thank you, thank you, thank you!**_

_**Scorp – Thank you for keeping me on the rails.**_

_**SMeyer owns…disclaimer firmly placed.**_

_**\\\**_

21. Tiny Bubbles

##

We got back to the old apartment just after 9:00 PM. The living room was full of fucking boxes…ours, which were being moved out, and Rosalie's, which I thought weren't moving in until the next day. Emmett was sitting on the couch in his underwear and t-shirt, and thankfully, Rosalie was nowhere in sight.

"One last ass print on our couch, Emmett?" Bella asked as she walked into the kitchen to grab paper plates and napkins. We'd brought pizza home after we'd finished cleaning. We'd sold a lot of shit we weren't taking with us, so what was here was what we were going to live with.

The kitchen had been packed up, and I knew Rosalie and Emmett had a truck coming the next day behind ours with all of the shit she'd been buying. Jasper and Alice had moved back to South Bend in July because Jasper scored a job working for an antiques restoration company that needed him to start right away. He was going to continue to work for them during the school year, and he and Alice had moved into an apartment much like ours and not too far away.

He and Bella had been collaborating by e-mail over the summer to create a Facebook page for her pictures, and while nothing had come of it to date, they were both optimistic it could generate some interest in her photos and maybe she could actually sell some. I supported her as best I could because I had no fucking idea what any of it meant.

"I'm wearing underwear. Where the hell have you two been?" Emmett asked as he sipped a beer.

"Duh! We're _moving_ tomorrow? Did you forget or did you think all of these boxes are making a fucking decorating statement, _Martha_?" I asked the stupid fucking moron.

"I'm gonna miss you bitchin' at me all the time, _sweetheart_," Emmett joked as he finished his beer, got up from the couch, and scratched is jock, which was something I didn't need to see.

"Oh, I'm sure Rosalie will be more than capable of bitching at you far better than I ever could, _sugar pie_," I called back as I went back to our bedroom to plug in my cheap-ass, piece-of-shit phone. The fucker held a charge for about ten minutes. The phrase, "you get what you pay for" never rang truer to me.

"Hey, Katie called," Emmett yelled.

"Jesus, I'm right fucking here," I heard Bella yelling at him.

_That_ was something I wasn't going to miss one goddamn bit. Living with a brother and sister was hell. They fought all the fucking time, and it plucked my last goddamn nerve.

I kicked off my running shoes and walked back into the kitchen, seeing Emmett opening three beers and Bella pulling the pizza out of the box. I wanted to hurry up and eat so we could take the bath she'd promised me and get to the monkey sex. I knew I should be sad about moving out, but I had so much to look forward to living with Bella, so I didn't have it in me to be anything but happy.

"We're still feeding you?" I teased as I picked up the beer setting on the table unattended and took a big drink, enjoying the coldness of it. I was also enjoying the air conditioning while I could because we wouldn't be using it at our place and with our luck lately, I feared it would be a hot fucking fall.

"Hey, dude, I brought beer to the party. So, Bells, you talk to Mom or Dad?" Emmett asked as he loaded three pieces of pizza on his plate like a fucking wolverine.

"Babe, you better get in here. I told you we should have gotten two," I announced. Emmett and I could put away some food, but I wanted Bella to be able to at least get a fucking piece before he ate the whole thing himself. I pulled three pieces onto my plate because, hell, I paid for the fucker so I was getting mine.

"I have not. I have nothing to say to them. I'm not the fucking golden child like you, Emmett," Bella replied as she grabbed a piece and sat down at the table.

"I'm not exactly the golden child anymore, but whatever. I still talk to them. They were asking about where you two are gonna live. I didn't tell them you've moved to the fucking ghetto," Emmett teased.

So, it wasn't the fucking Golden Strand, it was okay…well, I'd make sure Bella never went out at night alone because the neighborhood was sheisty as hell, but at least we had a security door to our building.

"Yeah, well at least I'm paying my fucking share, David Gest," Bella joked, referring to the guy Liza Minnelli married a few years ago who was probably gay. Son-of-a-bitch walked away from the short marriage with an assload of money, though.

"You're just jealous because we'll have A/C," Emmett responded. I wasn't going to confirm it, but yeah, I was sort of jealous.

"_You're_ just jealous because Edward's not completely pussy whipped like you," she replied.

"Hell yeah he is…" "Yeah I am…" we both responded and then cracked up. If Bella thought I wasn't pussy whipped, she wasn't paying very much attention. That woman led me around by the dick everywhere she went. She didn't do it intentionally…it was all me, and I wouldn't change a thing. I didn't mind being pussy whipped as long as the pussy kept presenting itself.

"Hello?" we heard called from the front door. I didn't hear a knock or a key, but I knew the voice. It was Rosalie the ball buster, and I was sure she'd be pissed there was no pizza left for her…well, not after I snaked the last piece and put it on Bella's plate.

"You dick," Emmett complained. I laughed.

"Oh, pizza. Good," Rosalie called as she walked into the kitchen, dropping a workout bag on the floor. Emmett gave me a dirty look and handed her the last piece of pizza on his plate as I ate mine.

"You all packed up?" Bella asked her as she tore the crust off the second piece and placed the rest of it on my plate with a wink. _God, I loved her_.

"All my shit's in those boxes. How soon will you two be out? My clothes are getting wrinkled," Rosalie bitched. Emmett was either a moron or a masochist for dealing with the woman. She was hard as nails, and I was sure as shit glad she wasn't _my_ girlfriend.

"Well, you're welcome to start carrying our shit to the curb right now so when Jasper shows up tomorrow with the truck, we can just load it on. Other than that, you're going to have to endure it, Rose," Bella replied. She, too, could be hard as nails, but I _was_ glad she was my girlfriend.

"Fuck you," Rosalie complained as she finished Emmett's last piece of pizza and his beer. I could see the look of pain on his face, and I chuckled at it because I knew how he was with food. Emmett Swan _did not_ share food.

I picked up the empty bottles, mine and Bella's plates, and pushed them into the trash. "Good night," I announced. I picked up Bella from her chair and tossed her over my shoulder, carrying her back to our room with Emmett bitching and groaning behind us.

Once we were in our room, I closed and locked the door and carried Bella into the bathroom, turning on the water in the big tub and squirting in Bella's bubble bath. _Hey, I'm a guy but I loved the smell because it reminded me of her. I didn't mind the bubbles either because it was like a strip tease as they popped and disappeared revealing more and more of her sexy body._

"Excuse me, Cullen. I'm about to have a brain embolism or something. Could you put me down?" Bella asked calmly as she pinched my ass.

I laughed. "Sorry, love, forgot you were there," I teased. I put her down on her feet and quickly whipped the t-shirt from her body, enjoying the sight of her gorgeous rack in a lace bra. It was one of my favorites because it clasped in the front, so I reached up and flipped it with my finger, seeing it open but not exactly fall away.

I was quite happy to be able to peel it from her body because it was like opening a Christmas gift. First, I pulled the left side away, leaning down and licking the salty pink nipple, and then I pulled the right side away, repeating the process. Her tits were incredible, and I'd most assuredly always show them the respect they deserved.

"God, that feels good," Bella sighed, spurring me on. I'd begun to crave the sounds from her as I touched her, kissed her, and made love to her. I'd give up everything I had just to hear them every day. That night I intended to make certain she knew it.

I pulled off my own shirt and shorts, having skipped boxers that day because I knew it would be hot as balls in the apartment, and one more layer of fabric seemed ridiculous. I reached for her and pulled her closer, kissing her gently on her mouth as I felt her naked torso against mine. I felt her hard nipples against my chest, and I knew she was as turned on as me.

I reached down and pushed off her sweat shorts, finding she'd made the same decision as me and skipped the panties. "All day?" I whined as I looked down at her gorgeous naked body.

"Yep," she teased.

"Could you give me a heads up on that shit in the future, please?" I lifted her out of her shorts on the floor and over the side of the tub with me.

"If I'd have told you, we'd have never gotten a damn thing done," she surmised. While I was sure she was right, it didn't mean I wouldn't have liked the information. _Sometimes, it's like she doesn't know me at all._

"Maybe…maybe not. You're discounting my control, love," I told her as I sat down in the water and pulled her down on top of me, facing me.

"If you'd have known I had no panties on all day, would you have not tried to fuck me?" she teased. _Okay, maybe she knows me a lot better than I give her credit_.

"Make no mistake, I'd have definitely fucked you, but we'd have still gotten everything done," I reasoned as I kissed her nose. If she thought I wouldn't take advantage of fucking her at every opportunity, I needed to fix that shit quickly.

"God, you're a pervert," she teased.

"I'm only a pervert when it comes to you. It's your fault, you know," I responded as I centered her over my aching cock. Poor bastard had been hard most of the day, and he was definitely looking forward to a little relief. I reached around her and turned off the water, enjoying the bubbles around us. Maybe I was a pansy, but I liked the bubbles, especially with Bella in them.

"So, Miss Swan, tomorrow we go from being three roommates to two. Any thoughts," I asked as I gently moved my hands across her back, massaging the muscles I was certain would be sore from all the scrubbing she'd done at the apartment. The fucking thing nearly sparkled when we left.

"I certainly won't miss seeing my brother's huge ass sprawled on the couch in his underwear, and I can't wait to have a nice dinner with just the two of us. Oh, and Naked Sundays…I can't wait for Naked Sundays," she smirked because I was sure she felt my cock twitch at the comment in agreement.

I moved my left hand down to find her entrance and pulled her onto me, encasing myself in her tight, wet heat. The water was tepid to help us cool off, but Bella was definitely hot, in every sense of the word.

"Fuck, you feel so good. I love you," I whispered as we settled with me inside her. I reached down and scooped up some of the water, raining it down on her shoulder as she kissed along my jaw.

"I love you, too, Cullen. Don't lie to me…is this better than crankin' the wank by yourself?" she joked.

I pulled back from her and looked at her trying to decide if I should aggravate her because when she was pissed, she was fucking hot, but I decided to go the other way. "I haven't cranked my wank…which is really classy, by the way…since I had the great fortune to get the girl. Before we started having sex, I was still having sex with you in my head…even though you thought I was gay, thank you very much…and since the first time we were together, I haven't had the need to choke the chicken," I joked a little.

She loved to come up with little euphemisms for self-love, and I had no problem joking with her because I truly loved that part of our life. It put all of the bullshit into perspective, and I didn't take shit so seriously. She definitely brought out a more relaxed side of my personality I didn't know I had.

"You are priceless, babe. I'm glad you were the one to pop my cherry…continuing in the classy vein," she teased.

"You'll never know how happy I am that not only did I pop yours, you popped mine. Now with cherries jubilee behind us, can we stop the joking and get to the matter at hand…well, no longer at hand," I teased back as I placed my hands on her hips and began moving her on my dick, enjoying the marvelous friction that she provided.

Being inside of the woman I loved was an experience I had no idea how to describe. I had, in my lap at the moment, everything I'd ever need for the rest of my life. She was the most wonderful gift I never thought I'd get, and as she moved on me, I looked into her eyes and had only one thought. There was no way in hell she was ever going to get away from me.

It wasn't a manly thought by any stretch of the imagination because as I recalled from high school and what I'd witnessed of mating rituals in college, men were aloof and waited for the woman to pursue them, but as I'd astutely figured out…_being a 3.95 GPA scholar and all_…the smartest guys found the woman they loved and dogged her like a fucking coon hound until they won her heart.

_That's_ what I'd done to Bella, and _that_ was why she was on my lap in that moment moving against me driving the two of us insane while we soaked in bubbles.

"You know, I don't think we've been having enough sex lately. Can we fix that?" she asked as she began moving harder on me.

I gulped…_yes, I fucking gulped_. "Oh, that's something we can definitely fix, and without living with your noisey fucking brother, we're gonna get loud," I responded as I dove into her neck. I made a mental note to check how thick the walls were in our new place because I was pretty sure our neighbors were gonna fucking hate us…if I had my way.

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_**E/N: I'm so happy to read that you're all excited about this chapter of Edward's life. He's definitely learning how to live "like the other half." He will learn more lessons, and the surprises are plentiful, even though we're reaching the end of our road. Stay tuned…**_

_**Thank you for reading!**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! Love reading them. Let's get to it.**_

_**Scorpio11 is my wonderful beta. **_

_**I don't own anything…**_

_**\\\**_

22. The King of Adhesives

##

"Hey, Cullen," my co-worker, Taylor, called as I walked back to the employees' lounge to drop off my book bag. I'd been working at _Office Max_ for a bit, and I wasn't exactly in love with the joint.

It wasn't really a bad job, and I was learning a lot about the world of tape…masking, mounting, duct, two-sided…_you get it_. Anyway, I stocked all things adhesive. If anyone had a question relating to anything tape-like, I was their go-to guy. All of my college courses at one of the country's most prestigious private universities had prepared me for a job wherein I could explain to the average customer the difference between office tape and gift wrap tape. _Who the fuck knew there was actually a difference?_

I pulled out my official _Office Max_ employee uniform of khakis and a blue button down and made my way to the bathroom to change. The uniform made all of us look like the old Blockbuster employees …or members of Mitt Romney's family…but at least I didn't have to wear a fucking hat like some other menial jobs required.

After I'd changed, I walked back into the break-room to hang up the shorts and t-shirt I'd worn to class that day and grabbed a Coke from the vending machine to try to get some caffeine in my system so I'd at least be able to fake enthusiasm for the job. I pulled out my piece-of-shit phone and checked my messages, seeing one from Bella I must have received after I'd arrived at work.

_**Talked to Gran…she wants us to visit this weekend. I can actually rearrange my schedule at the restaurant and have Saturday and Sunday off if you want to go. ILY – B**_

Living with Bella was easier than I'd ever imagined it would be…but only because we were never in the fucking apartment at the same time. She was working at a small restaurant off-campus every weekend and a few nights a week, and also worked afternoons at the campus bookstore. The rest of the time, she had class and slept.

We'd only had sex a handful of times since we'd moved into the apartment, and I wasn't fucking happy about it. A lot of shit I couldn't do anything about…our parents being pissed at us, her heavy course load, our loud fucking neighbors who banged all the time reminding us we were both so fucking exhausted we didn't have the energy to…well…bang. But, if she was actually going to have a weekend off, and we could spend time together…even if it was in Muncie, Indiana…I was definitely going to make sure I had the weekend off to take her.

I sent her a response immediately.

_**I'll make sure I'm off so we can go. What time are you off tonight? xo E**_

I looked up and saw Sean, another guy who started when I did, walk in and go to his locker. "Hey, Sean? You working this weekend?" I asked hopefully.

"Thankfully, no. I'm working the next three weekends, though. Being the new guy sucks doesn't it," he responded. Sean was becoming _Office Max No. 1324_'s expert on all things related to packing and shipping, so our areas of _expertise_ overlapped somewhat.

"I'll trade you one of those weekends for this weekend," I offered. I'd made sure to strike the deal with my supervisor, Waylon, before I took the job. I'd work all the weeknights they wanted but I was only available to work the second weekend of the month. I lied and said I had to take seminars the rest of the time, but I was pretty sure the guy had no idea it was all bullshit. I just didn't want to work every fucking weekend.

"Seriously? Which one?" he asked, as he pulled out his phone to check his schedule. I knew my schedule without looking it up because shit like that stuck in my head. That was probably why I was good with numbers.

"You pick. I'm usually only available to work the second weekend of the month, but something came up this weekend I need to be off for. The rest of the weekends, I'm free. You pick which weekend you want me to work, and I'll take care of it with Waylon," I offered with my fingers crossed he'd take the bait.

"Sure. Let me call my boyfriend to see if he's got plans for us this weekend, and if not, I'll trade with you," he responded much to my surprise. I wasn't surprised he was gay because you'd have to be in a sensory deprivation chamber not to pick up on it. I was surprised he was actually considerate enough to check with his boyfriend because the guy was usually a huge dick to everyone. Just another lesson on not judging a book and all that shit.

"You know where I'll be," I called. I finished my soda and went to find my trusty clipboard because a shipment had come in that day, and I had to inventory and stock all of that shit. _Yes, it was truly a glamorous job._

An hour later found me in aisle four…my kingdom…stocking _Scotch_ _Brand_ tape (I'd been schooled that when the customer asks for _Scotch_ tape, I was to explain to them cellophane or gift wrap tape was available by many vendors, not just 3M, the owners of the brand "_Scotch_." I was sure _that_ piece of information would be a lesson which would change my life…_riiiiight_). I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see a tall blonde woman who looked vaguely familiar to me, though I couldn't exactly place where I'd seen her.

"How may I help you?" I asked, feigning helpfulness.

"You are Cullen?" she asked. She had a thick accent, and it was familiar, but I couldn't figure out why.

"Yes, I'm Edward Cullen," I answered.

"Vy Bella is not in seminar this semester?" she asked as if I had a fucking whiff of an idea to what she was referring.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you're talking about," I answered.

"I teach seminar. Bella take seminar in spring. I give seminar in fall. She not sign up. Vy?" she asked with an accusatory tone in her voice. I had no fucking idea what she was going on about, nor did I know how she knew I was with Bella, so I decided to ask a few questions of my own.

"First, who are you; how did you know Bella's my girlfriend; and how did you know I work here?" I asked. I really didn't broadcast to anyone I was working at an office supply store because my parents had cut me off. It was nobody's fucking business, in my opinion.

"Dubrovnik. I am photographer. I know you are Bella's lover because she tell me you vouldn't vant her to take seminar. I follow you from school yesterday," she confessed in order of my asked questions. The following-me thing was a concern, but I was truly interested in why Bella would say I wouldn't want her to take a seminar. That made no sense to me whatsoever.

"Bella never mentioned anything to me about a seminar. I'm not sure why she…what kind of seminar is it?" I asked.

"Nudes," she answered with a challenging tone in her voice.

While I wouldn't have been thrilled my girlfriend was taking pictures of some other guy's junk, I knew it came with the territory, and it was just something I'd have to live with. I'd have never told her I didn't want her to take it, but I would have damn well wanted to see the pictures when she got home. That reminded me she hadn't been taking many pictures lately, and I needed to talk to her about it.

Then, something popped into my head. "How much is this seminar?" I asked.

"Two-hundred fifty, U.S.," she answered. In that moment, I knew exactly why Bella didn't take it. We didn't have two-hundred and fifty dollars just laying around that wasn't already earmarked for something, so my girlfriend had skipped the seminar because she didn't want to point out the fact we were living below the poverty line.

"When is it?" I asked.

"Is next Thursday," she responded.

"I'll get the money together. Can she still get in?" I asked.

"Of course. She is good student. I vant her in seminar. I make exception," she responded.

"Can you come by here tomorrow night? I'll have the money for the seminar by then, and I'll talk to Bella about it, okay?" I asked. She looked me up and down.

"If money is problem, you could model for class. Pay five-hundred dollars," she offered. While I didn't necessarily mind Bella photographing nudes, I was pretty sure she wouldn't want one of them to be _me_.

"Uh, thanks but no thanks. I appreciate your stopping by. I'll handle it," I answered. She was making me uncomfortable with way she was eyeing me, so I wanted to get her the hell out of there.

"Tomorrow," she confirmed. She turned around and clicked her stiletto-heeled boots up the aisle with a lot more grace than I'd bet most women could pull off.

As I went back to work, I did a mental inventory of everything I had in my possession I could hock in order to come up with the money. If it wasn't for me, Bella's parents would be helping her with expenses…well, maybe. Since they'd bailed on her for reasons I still didn't really understand, I was going to step up to the plate and make sure she had everything she needed, regardless of the cost to me. It was what I believed you did for someone you loved more than anything in the world.

The only thing that came to mind of any value was my great-grandfather's antique pocket watch. It had been given to me when I graduated high school, and it was supposed to be worth a lot of money, though I doubted the pawn shop in Mishawaka would see it that way. It was a rare "1908 Waltham 23 jewel Winding Indicator Riverside Maximus," 10K gold-filled railroad watch with diamond cap jewels.

It had been in the Masen family for years, and if my parents ever found out I'd hocked it for two-hundred-fifty dollars, they'd shoot me. I'd looked it up on the internet once, and it was supposed to be worth about six grand, so I was pretty sure I could get the two-fifty. Then, I'd just have to figure out where to get the money to get the watch out of hock before thirty days were up.

When in the fuck did life get so damn hard? _Oh, yeah, when you grew the fuck up and took charge of your own life._

##

"_DO NOT_ rip up that fucking check. It's a goddamn cashier's check," I yelled. Yeah, we were going at it pretty damn good at midnight on a Thursday. As I suspected, she wasn't taking pictures because we didn't have two nickels to rub together, much less the money for her to buy supplies, and she wasn't entering shows because of the entry fee and because she wasn't taking pictures.

When we'd talked about it on Monday night, she confessed it all to me, and it pissed me off. When I went to the pawn shop on Tuesday after school, I was lucky enough to get someone who knew what a rare watch it was, and he offered to buy it from me for five grand. I made him give me the two-fifty in cash so I could give it to the crazy Russian broad, and then I demanded a cashier's check made out to Bella for the rest of it.

Maybe I wouldn't have a family heirloom to hand down to my son, if I should ever be so lucky, but my girl wasn't going to fuck up her career because of something I had the power to fix.

"I told you it was fine. I told you I'd figure it out. You aren't my father, Edward. I can make my own way," she complained loudly. Okay, she was fucking screaming at me, but I didn't give a shit. Apparently, we were going to have an all-out fracas. I just prayed the make-up sex would last longer than the actual fight.

"No, I'm not your _father_. I'm the man who loves you and who had a way to get you enough cash to last this school year for supplies. Cash the fucking check and get the shit you need, please. You can't get the grades you need or deserve if you can't buy the shit you need to submit assignments, Bella. You might as well get used to the idea that if I have a way to get you something you need or want, I'm going to do it. I love you, and we are making a life together," I yelled back as someone banged on the wall and yelled for us to shut up. _Sure, those bastards can fuck like screaming monkeys and be as loud as they want, but let a man and a woman have a legitimate fight, and they're banging on the walls? Fuck them._

My beautiful girl looked into my eyes, and I saw those fucking tears that killed me every time. As I was about to tell her not to waste tears on me because I wasn't changing my mind, she walked around the table and wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me and quietly sobbing.

I had almost grabbed her hands for fear she was going to strangle the shit out of me, but when she held me close, I was thrilled I hadn't. I sat down in a kitchen chair, thankful she wasn't going to kill me and didn't tear up the check, and I pulled her onto my lap to hold her.

After a few minutes, she pulled back and sniffed. I reached into the pocket of my khakis and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping her eyes and holding it over her nose. "Blow," I ordered. She chuckled and took it from me, blowing her nose and looking into my eyes.

"I love you so much," she whispered as she seized my lips in a heated kiss. _Hey, now that was a lot more like it._

I swept my tongue over her plump bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to me. I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her and vowing to myself I'd never let her go. After several minutes of our tongues doing battle, I could tell she was having a bit of trouble breathing so I moved from her mouth to her jaw and down her neck, sliding my tongue against the soft flesh and getting a whiff of old grease from her hair.

It was then I realized she was still in her yellow and brown waitress uniform, and she smelled like the God-awful place where she worked until 11:00 PM. I really wanted to make love to her, but first things first…the grease smell had to go.

I picked her up and carried her out of the kitchen, stopping to turn off the light on the way. "Let's get a shower and then you can show me how much you love me," I teased.

"I hope you have access to strong coffee tomorrow because _that's_ going to take a while," she moaned against my neck. _Oh, hell._ I'd stay up for days if that was how long it would take her to show me. It was definitely worth the lack of sleep.

After a quick, crowded shower with lots of touching and washing each other as best we could in the three-by-three box we called a shower stall, we stepped out and brushed our teeth over the small porcelain sink. "I guess in the spirit of full disclosure I should tell you Dubrovnik stopped by the other day and picked up the fee for the seminar next Thursday. She's making an exception for you to be in it, so you better show up," I ordered. I hadn't told her about it, and I doubted Dubrovnik had either.

"That bitch. She charged you? She fucking told me she'd let me participate for free if I'd help with the other students' sessions. I don't really trust her," Bella determined. I tended to agree. There was something about the woman I didn't exactly trust either.

"Well, I paid her two-fifty cash. She kind of creeps me out," I remarked as I rinsed my mouth and spat in the sink.

"Wait, you didn't sign up to"…_spit_… "model for her or anything, did you? That's not where the money"…_spit…rinse…spit… _"came from, is it?" she snapped at me.

I had no intention of telling her where the money came from, but when she jumped to that conclusion, I knew I needed to come clean. "Look, I didn't sign up to do anything for her. And, as much as you think my naked body is worth five grand to take a gander at, I seriously doubt she'd agree. I sold something I just had sitting around in a drawer, okay?"

We walked back into our little bedroom and pulled the comforter from the bed, folding it and then Bella placed it on the small chair in the corner. All that would fit into the small bedroom was the bed, a small chair, and the dresser. Luckily, there was an overhead light because we didn't have room for the nightstands, but neither of us seemed to really give a shit.

"What was it?" she asked as she opened the only window in the room wider to try to capture the breeze which was really fucking non-existent. It was supposed to rain overnight, but the air was still and humid which meant that we'd sweat to death, but hell, I'd get up and take a cool shower and change the bed again if we had to. Nothing was going to stop me from the make-up sex to which I felt I was definitely entitled.

"Nothing of importance, trust me. Now, can we get to the good part? If those fucks are gonna bang on the walls, I want it to be because you're screaming my name in a good way, not because we're fighting," I requested.

Bella giggled, which was one of the best sounds in the world, and she stripped off her towel, dropping it to the floor and then dropping herself onto the bed, crawling seductively toward me. _Fucking hell._

She reached out and pulled off my towel, tossing it toward the hamper and then, God love her, she snaked her perfect little tongue across the swollen head of my poor, neglected cock. I shuddered a little bit because it had been a while since I was treated to the oral talents of Bella Swan.

"Fuck, baby, that feels good," I gasped.

One thing I knew was Bella loved encouragement, and oh, sweet Georgia Brown, I loved to give it to her. She quickly sucked my cock into her mouth all the way to the base, and proceeded to remind me she didn't have a gag reflex. I almost went to church and lit a candle when I found out _that_ little bit of news early on in our relationship, but then I decided maybe it would be inappropriate so I threw a twenty into the poor box instead, back when I had money. _ I'm nothing if not a giver._

As her tongue worked its wicked voodoo on me, I wound my hands into her damp hair and guided her gently at the pace I needed. After several minutes of swirling and licking, I was about to lose it, so I pulled out and flipped her on her back, quickly entering her with a loud moan.

"Gah," she gasped. I liked encouragement myself.

"Fuck, baby, that felt so good but I've got only one way I want to finish this," I told her as I pulled her legs up on my shoulders and moved harder into her. I shifted her right leg to join her left one on my right shoulder, and I moved my left hand down to her soft mound. My thumb found her hot button, slowly circling it and applying pressure like I'd learned from the signals she'd given me over time…oh, and the research I'd done on the internet.

It was a huge fucking ego boost to be able to satisfy Bella. Taking the time to learn what she liked had been my favorite class and probably the one wherein I'd paid the most attention. She'd paid attention as well, learning the same things about me. She knew when I was about to climax, I loved her to squeeze her muscles to milk it from me. That shit turned me on more than anything in the fucking world.

"God, don't stop. I'm so close," she groaned. I moved her legs back to the bed, positioning her feet on the mattress so she could move with me, and I leaned down from where I stood at the side of the bed to lick and suck on her nipples, another thing I'd learned she loved.

"I'm right there with you, Bella. Let go for me. I want to feel you come on me," I told her as I moved my thumb back to its mission of driving her crazy. I simultaneously kissed up her chest to her mouth because I was dying to kiss her when I released inside her.

The moment our tongues found each other, she squealed in my mouth. I pulled back because I wanted to hear it. "Say it…who makes you feel this way?" I ordered. Since we'd gotten more comfortable with our sex life, I'd learned she loved it when I was a little aggressive and controlling in bed. I loved it when she did it to me, so I guessed we were both a little freakier than either of us knew in the beginning.

"Oh, God, _EDWARD!_" she screamed just the way I loved it. As she squeezed my twitching cock, I gave her exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Fuck, Bella. I fucking love you," I groaned as I came hard. Apparently, the adrenalin rush from the argument fueled my libido enough to give me a mind-blowing orgasm. _Maybe I'd pick fights with her more often if make-up sex is always like this. It was fucking glorious…and glorious fucking._

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_**E/N: How are we liking E's POV? Can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N: Thank you for your reviews. I love each and every one of them, and I hope you continue to give me your thoughts.**_

_**On a side note…"Bandits" has been nominated for "Top Ten Completed Fics for September 2012" on www . twifanfictionrecs . com (delete spaces). I'd love it if you'd go vote! **_

_**I'd also like to thank Kassiah for her rec of my stuff on the Fictionators! I was surprised and very happy!**_

_**So, shall we? We're going to see Gran Marie, and we know what a force she is…**_

_**SMeyer owns. I don't infringe.**_

_**\\\ **_

23. A Green Thumb

##

"Did she say if there was a specific reason, or is it just because she misses you?" I asked as we were driving to Muncie. We'd both worked Friday night and got up early on Saturday to drive down to see Bella's grandmother.

It was actually the weekend of Bella's birthday, which I'd almost forgotten until Emmett sent me a text to remind me. He might have been an ass most of the time, but I knew he really did love his little sister. I was still grateful he reminded me of the date because I'd never want to make her think it wasn't one of the best days of the year for me. I'd just been too fucking busy between school and my jobs to pay attention to the calendar, but I was thankful I hadn't missed it.

I had a mix CD that I'd made for her on Friday afternoon when one of my tutee's hadn't shown up for an accounting session, and I knew if I tried to do anything more for her it would only piss her off. I'd written her a note to go with it, and it was wrapped and in my bag, waiting for the right time to give it to her.

"She just said she wanted us to come for a visit. I think it's because she knows Mom and Dad aren't speaking to me and it's my…um, Emmett has a game this weekend. I haven't really talked to her much since Vegas, so I have no idea what's going on with her. I hope she's not sick again," Bella responded.

"Love, I know tomorrow's your birthday, you know. I might be a lame ass on a lot of things, but I know damn well when it's your birthday," I joked as I took her left hand, seeing the bracelet I'd given her when we first got together and I actually _had_ money. I kissed the top of her hand and squeezed it, enjoying the warmth of it in mine.

"Oh, I didn't know if you remembered or not. We've both been so busy," she excused.

"You're going to be twenty. That's something worth celebrating, in my book. Have you heard from my sister? I tried to call her but I kept getting voicemail," I commented, not exactly admitting that I was a horrible boyfriend because I had forgotten. I'd get it tattooed on my forehead if I had to so that I'd never forget it again. I actually owed one to Emmett Swan.

Katie was due in March, and she hadn't gone back to school. She'd told me she'd finish after she had the baby, but I wondered if she would. Garrett was in his first year of grad school, and I wondered if that played into the reason why my sister didn't go back to Columbia. I never asked her if she talked to my parents or if they'd cut her off like they'd done to me because I didn't want another reason to hate them, and either way, I'd hate them.

"She's lost her phone somewhere. She called me from work the other day to see how we were doing. She's finished with morning sickness, and she sounds very happy. She, um, she said your parents ask about you. Shouldn't you call them?" Bella asked.

She'd tried to convince me to bury the hatchet, and when I'd suggested in my father's skull, she didn't laugh. I fucking did. Somehow, my sister's pregnancy seemed to have been blamed on me, but I didn't give a shit.

I went along with Katie's idea to go to Vegas and get married, and I'd stood my ground I wasn't going to Oxford. If that was enough for them to cut me out of their lives, I had to actually wonder how much I'd meant to them in the first goddamn place.

"I'm not calling them. I might have changed my phone plan, but I didn't change my fucking _number_. They believe they had the last word on the matter, so I'll let them have it. If they don't want to talk to me and find out what's going on in my life other than the fact they've cut me off, then fuck them. Tell me how things are going at both of your shitty jobs," I suggested to change the subject so I didn't show up at her grandmother's house all pissed off.

"Well, um Mrs. Cope told me the other night I'm a really horrible waitress. I reminded her I don't give a shit and I'd applied to be a cook, and she laughed. I'm hoping she'll get rid of Quil, that dick, and give me a fucking chance. I'd much rather cook than wait tables," she complained. I knew she hated waiting tables, especially in a college town where the tips were for shit. I knew what a great cook she was, and if Mrs. Cope didn't give her a shot, it would definitely be her loss.

Even on our limited income, Bella managed to make us wonderful meals. I helped her with prep as much as I could on our Naked Sunday night cooking extravaganzas…and we did wear clothes when we cooked…so we'd have food during the week. The woman could stretch a dollar further than anyone I'd ever seen in my fucking life. I wasn't suffering in the meal department. Thankfully, I could work out at school so I didn't get a big ass.

"Why don't you quit that fucking job? I can pick up more hours at _Office Max_ to make up for the god-awful salary you make there and it will give you more free time to take pictures," I offered. I could take on more weekend work because my supervisor, Waylon, liked me. It would be easy to convince him my seminar was finished and I was available for weekends. For her, I'd do it.

"You can't afford to pick up any more hours at that place. You've got a GPA to maintain, Cullen. You need to narrow in on a grad school, you know. You haven't told me where you've applied or if you've heard from any of them, but I know for a fact you should be hearing from them soon," she confronted.

I'd applied to Booth and Kellogg just as I'd decided prior to the blow-up with my parents. I was reassessing it because I truly wasn't sure what the fuck I was going to do. Both schools were far away from Mishawaka and South Bend, and the thought of leaving Bella there wasn't one I wanted to dwell on.

I needed to figure out something because I knew while we might be able to cover her tuition with the money we were saving if she stayed at Stovers, we'd never be able to cover it if she followed me to Chicago or Evanston.

My educational trust fund was something I needed to get a handle on because maybe there was some sort of a loophole in the fucker which allowed me to draw from it to subsidize housing and school-related expenses so more money could be saved for Bella's tuition. Even if that was possible, I still didn't know how we'd afford the tuition for Bella at Northwestern or UIC or even Columbia College. It was truly a shit place to be.

I decided to change the subject as I turned onto the gravel road where Bella's grandmother lived. "I hope to fuck I don't have to sleep on that goddamn couch. That thing should have been pitched out a long time ago," I complained as I remembered sleeping on it with Bella. My back wasn't right for two weeks after, but the opportunity to hold her in my arms at night while Marie was in the hospital had been too much to resist, so I'd suffered in silence. I wasn't going to be quite so silent any longer.

"HA! Marie Swan-Johnson-Truman loves you as much as she loves me or Emmett. Also, she knows we live together, and she's not as conservative as my father. I truly doubt she'd allow you to sleep on the couch. Besides, she has a little crush on you and thinks you've got a great ass," Bella informed.

I started laughing as I pulled into the driveway, seeing her grandmother in the front yard weeding flower beds. "Well, you told me that the Swan blood runs hot. Thankfully, I've had the opportunity to witness it for myself. So, let's go show my great ass to your grandma and see what's up," I teased. Bella leaned over the console and kissed me quickly before she jumped out of the car and ran up to her grandmother, hugging her while I pulled our bags from the backseat.

As I set our bags down on the sidewalk, Marie whispered something to Bella, causing her to crack up. "Gran! That's none of your business," she exclaimed as she took my hand and pulled me closer.

Marie hugged me with a "Hello, Handsome," as she pulled away.

"Marie, you beauty, how've you been? Who's your latest victim?" I teased. Emmett called her "The Black Widow" because she'd put three husbands in the ground, but at seventy-years old, she was still a beautiful woman. The Swan genes were strong.

"You rascal. I'm glad to see the smile on my granddaughter's face. You must be taking good care of her," Marie joked with a wink. I felt the blood rise in my face, and when I glanced at Bella, she was glowing red as well.

"I do my best, Marie. Now, what's his name?" I teased as I picked up our bags and followed her into the house. I dropped our bags at the stairs, not ready to deal with the sleeping issue, and followed her and Bella, whose ass I most definitely admired in a pair of jeans that should have been registered as illegal, into the kitchen to sit and catch up.

"So?" I pushed as Marie handed me a glass of lemonade, pouring one for Bella and herself.

"You just don't give up, do you? Fine, his name is Victor Bergman and when you two leave tomorrow night, he and I are driving up to Iowa to the Meskwaki Casino for a couple of days. He hasn't proposed yet, and I don't know if I want to get married again. I might just follow my granddaughter's example and live in sin. It seems to be working for the two of you," she teased.

I laughed because I'd really always loved Marie. She reminded me of my Grandma Masen before she passed. Of course, thinking about Liz made me think about my grandfather and the watch I'd sold. Thankfully, though, I believed in my heart that Liz Masen would have approved of what I did. Selling the family heirloom to be able to provide the support for the woman I loved with all my heart didn't make me sad. It actually made me happy. Things are things, but being able to do something for someone you loved so profoundly outweighed any material possession I'd ever owned. It was yet another lesson I'd learned.

"Now, Bella, go out to the garden and get the ripe tomatoes, a few peppers and pull some onions. Oh, and get some of the sweet basil, not the lemon. Oh, and oregano. We'll make the sauce because I've already made the mozzarella. We're having lasagna for dinner. See if there's any of the butter lettuce that's ready so we can have a salad," Marie ordered. I saw Bella roll her eyes and chuckle.

"I'll help you," I offered as I rose from my chair.

"Actually, Edward, could I get you to bring down the leaf from under the bed to put in the table? My friends, Gil and Florence, are joining us, and the dining room table's too small for six," Marie asked.

"Go. I'll still be out there when you're done," Bella called as she grabbed a basket that rested by the back door. I watched her walk outside, and I could only shake my head at how much I loved her.

The fact I was going to get lasagna that night was a huge incentive to do Marie's bidding regardless of what it might be, but I was gonna be quick about it so I could go outside and watch Bella's ass as she picked vegetables.

When the backdoor closed and Marie saw Bella skipping out to the garden, which was absolutely adorable, she wheeled on me with a look on her face that led me to believe I was about to be put on the witness stand without representation. I wasn't exactly sure I could mount a defense in the amount of time she'd afford me, but I'd do my best. I truly had no idea what was wrong, and it worried me a little.

"Where's this…" I began before she walked over to a drawer in the kitchen and opened it.

She turned back to me and walked over to the table, placing a velvet box in front of me on the table. I flipped it open and saw a small diamond ring inside. On both sides of the demure center stone were leaf-shaped mountings with what I assumed were emeralds. It was a nice ring, but I had no idea why Marie was putting it in front of me.

I looked up at her with a cocked, questioning eyebrow. "Marie, I'm truly honored, but I'll have to turn you down because I'm already taken," I joked.

She laughed and slapped my shoulder. "That was my engagement ring from when I was married to Bella's grandfather. You remind me more of Charles than any man I've ever met in my life. We were very young when we met, and he was determined we'd make our own way in the world. He worked at a granary, having given up his dream of going to college. We fell in love, and his parents didn't approve at all, but we married anyway. He bought me that ring for our fifteenth wedding anniversary and he said, 'Marie, if I'd had the money at the time, I'd have bought this ring for you the moment I laid eyes on you.' He told me that the leaves reminded him I have a green thumb," she explained.

It was a sweet story, but I had no idea what it meant to me. "That's a sweet story. The ring is nice. Where's the…" I continued.

She sat down across from me and looked out the window of her small house to where Bella was picking vegetables. She smiled and then I saw her eyes tear up, and dear God, I didn't want another crying Swan woman on my hands. The one I lived with was more than enough.

"I brought that ring with me to Las Vegas because if you were going to marry my granddaughter, I wanted her to have it, and I wanted you to give it to her. You two didn't get married that time, but I still want her to have it. If you don't have intentions of asking my Bella to marry you, I'll take it back to the bank and put it in the safe deposit box. But, Edward, if you do, take it with you and give it to her when the time is right. That ring is special in our family, just like Bella is, and I'd love to know it will solidify another great love just like it did my love for Charles," Marie explained as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

It was the perfect ring for Bella because she was just like her grandmother, and I had every intention of marrying her when the time was right, so it was great that her grandmother had extended me the offer. "Marie, I love her with all my heart. I'll make certain when the time is right, this will be the ring that rests on her finger with all of the love in my heart wrapped around it," I told her.

She hugged me and quickly left the room with a sniff, the need for table leaf forgotten. I took the ring and our bags and went upstairs to the spare room, depositing everything inside. After, I went out to the garden and allowed Bella, the woman who I prayed would one day be my wife, to teach me yet another thing…the difference between sweet basil, licorice basil, and lemon basil.

##

"_Bella, you need to call me, darlin'. Some guy named Felix Linus from Linus Gallery keeps postin' on the wall of your Facebook page about a show he's invited you to in March. He mentioned somethin' called 'Nude Not Rude'. Anyway, he wants you to call him. He said you have his business card with his number. Call me. Oh, it's Jasper,_" was the message left on our answering machine at the apartment.

Bella's cell had died on the way home, and she'd forgotten to take the charger with her to Muncie, so I wasn't surprised Jasper couldn't get in touch with her. It was something that frustrated me about her, but she complained her cell was for _her_ convenience and not anyone else's.

"Babe, you need to call Jazz. Something about Linus Gallery," I called as I pulled the toast from the toaster. It was the Monday after our visit to Muncie, and we'd gotten home a lot later than we'd thought because Marie insisted we stay for dinner so we could celebrate Bella's birth moment with candles and a wish. I didn't know what she wished, but when she blew out her candles, she looked at me and smiled which always made me happy.

She walked into the kitchen where I was pulling out butter and jelly for our sparse breakfast. Thankfully, Marie had sent a bunch of things back with us, and we wouldn't have to worry about meals for a while. I knew she tried to give Bella money, and I heard an argument I was certain my girl won because Marie mentioned "damn stubborn" as I walked out to take the trash before we left on Sunday night, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was referring to her granddaughter.

She'd given Bella a quilt for her birthday, and it was nice. It took up residence at the end of our bed, and I was pretty sure we'd make use of it over the winter because I was damn sure our thermostat wouldn't see a degree above sixty-five which would make for some very cold mornings in Indiana in January. As long as I could hold her next to me all night long, I'd be more than warm enough.

"Who?" she asked as she stood in the kitchen in a pair of jeans that looked incredible on her and one of my white button down shirts that hadn't seen the light of day in a long time. When we were behind on laundry, Bella went to my side of our little closet and stole one of my shirts. I had not one complaint about it whatsoever.

"Jasper called. Some guy named Felix Linus was asking about a show at his gallery," I replied as I pulled the hot water-filled mug from the microwave and floated the teabag inside. She never developed a taste for coffee, but she loved her tea in the morning with a squirt of honey, and I made it for her every morning. I'd go without a lot of things before we stopped buying teabags.

"Oh, God, I forgot about him. He gave me his card at that show last spring and told me about a show his gallery hosted. He wanted to talk to me about. It's in March, I think," she commented as she kissed me gently on the mouth, then picked up her toast and took a bite.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Somewhere in California, if I remember correctly…as if I could get there," she laughed.

The money issues we had weren't new to most people, and by the way Bella acted, they certainly weren't new for her, but they were fucking new to me because I suppose I'd been a spoiled rich kid. I didn't like it in the least we had to worry about money all the fucking time, and a plan began to formulate inside my head that might take off some of the edge if it worked out right. I had no idea if it was even doable, but if it was, I'd make it happen.

"When's the deadline? Is it a juried show or just a show?" I asked. She still had the potential to qualify for the Kessler, but she needed to show her work. She needed to enter competitions and exhibitions and whatever other 'itions' that came her way.

"I truly don't remember much about it except it's an exhibition of nudes," she responded.

"Well, maybe you can get some good pictures on Thursday," I reminded because the seminar with the Russian was on Thursday.

"Are you sure you're okay with that? Again, I loved the CD and the card," she replied referring to her birthday gift I'd given her on the way home from Muncie. She cried at the letter, which wasn't my intention at all. It was a simple message, or so I thought.

_My love,_

_If I had a million dollars, I'd have taken you to the pyramids in Egypt or the Serengeti or Boise if that's where you wanted to go. I love you more than anything in this life or the next, and I hope and pray I'll be able to help you make all your dreams come true someday._

_Happy Birthday! I thank your parents for bringing you into the world, and I thank Emmett for bringing you into my life, and I thank the heavens for the fact you love me._

_Go take pictures of all of those naked people but just know one thing…none of them love you like I do._

_Our future is full of possibilities…Love will find a way._

_ILY,_

_Edward_

I thought it was the kind of thing she'd like, and it was my way of giving her the assurance I wouldn't be a jealous prick about her photographing some asshole's junk if it was in the name of art. She'd reassured me it was, and I took it to mean she wouldn't be lusting after any of those bastard's after the seminar.

"I told you I support you, and I do. Now, are you going to send anything to this show?" I asked as I finished my toast and coffee.

"If I come up with anything that's worth it, I guess I'll look into it. I'll run 'em by Banner and see what he thinks. Um, I picked up a shift tonight because they've started this two-fer thing, and they believe that it will bring in a lot of business. If it doesn't then I won't do it again, but if there's a potential to draw in more customers, I'd be a fool not to do it, especially since we close at 9:00 on Mondays," she announced.

"Fine. I'm not off until then anyway, and we have a stupid team meeting after, so I should be home around 10:00. I'll miss you. Call me," I told her as I grabbed my messenger bag from the corner of the couch and prepared to leave for class.

She quickly walked over to where I stood and threw her arms around my neck, kissing me with the taste of strawberry jam and a bit of mint from the toothpaste we'd settled on. It was a great way to start the day. When she pulled away and looked into my eyes, she had to know she owned my soul. "You've got tutoring this afternoon, right?" she asked. I could only nod as my hands squeezed her ass.

"Okay, then tonight, 10:30, you…me…shower?" she asked. I wished we had a fucking tub because I loved when we took baths together.

"I'll bring the soap," I teased as I kissed the end of her nose. After a few more minutes of kisses, I sprinted out the door and down the block to grab the bus. I'd have time to go back home to get my car for work, but parking at school was a bitch, and I wasn't about to pay to park my car on the street when I didn't have to.

I sat in my eight o'clock management class half paying attention. I was on my laptop looking up Linus Gallery in Pasadena, California, to see if it was a big deal when the professor said something that caught my attention.

"In my opinion, and opinions are like a certain part of the anatomy. Everyone has one and every now and again, a little gas comes out of it. There are four key components to being an effective manager. They are intellect, intuition, bullshit, and faith. Intellect is what we, your teachers and mentors, have tried to instill in you. They're the tools to make solid business decisions based on the models we've given you and the things we've taught you regarding the mechanics of running a business.

"The intuition is probably where we separate the men from the boys, no offense ladies. It's the ability to see the next greatest thing out there and have the guts to go for it when others might say it's a ridiculous endeavor.

"The bullshit factor is one that can't be ignored because in every industry…in every business…there comes a time when you're going to have to bullshit someone, somewhere, to get them to climb on board with your idea. If you believe in it, you're going to have to sell it to someone, and with salesmanship comes the bullshit factor.

"The last one is faith. You will generally be managing more than one staff member, and you have to have the faith they see your vision and can carry it out. Otherwise, you'll find yourselves working eighteen hour days and being a company of one, and one is the loneliest number. Hell, I'm dating myself with my musical references but you get it.

"Let's take a great example of the four pillars and analyze it against the Microsoft business model…" he continued. I quit listening to him and started thinking.

I applied his four pillars to my personal life. I had the intellect to figure out our financial woes. I needed to _think_ about it instead of try to survive it. If Bella wasn't skimping and scraping every penny she made in order to be able to pay her tuition for the last two years of school, we could actually use her checks to live on. She didn't make _that_ much, but with her trying to pick up extra shifts and shit, she wasn't living her best life. That fact was intellectually simple to figure out.

My intuition told me she had so much fucking potential that was untapped it wasn't even funny. With the right guiding hand, Bella could be a fucking photographic genius, and I'd support her every step of the way.

The bullshit factor was what our families had done to us. That wasn't even a road I wanted to go down.

Faith…I had all the faith in the world in her. I'd seen her pictures. I'd seen the reviews from the one show she'd entered. She was fantastic, and she had so fucking much talent. I had a head for business, but what, besides the paper to prove it, was I going to get from grad school I hadn't already gotten from undergrad? Maybe a few tricks of the trade, but I was certain it wasn't anything I couldn't figure out on my own with a little blood, sweat and tears.

So with all of that being said, where was the money better spent? My tuition at Booth would be at least fifty grand per year, as would Kellogg. I was pretty sure Bella's final two years at Stovers wouldn't come anywhere close to that. Hell, I was pretty sure one year of grad school tuition could wipe out all of her student loans at Stovers since she'd started.

That got me thinking. If I could relieve the financial burden of her school expenses, while still finishing my undergrad, there would come a time in the future when I could go to grad school and get my MBA. I was sure I could get a job…besides _Office Max_…where I could earn a decent salary, and hell, from what I'd learned, a lot of employers would pitch in on furthering education expenses.

I made up my mind to call the attorney who had established the college trust to see if there was any fucking way I could transfer the money to Bella. I had the will, and I was confident there was a way.

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_**E/N: Hmmm… A lot to think about. Love to hear what you think!**_

_**Thanks for reading, and if you're so inclined, go vote for "Bandits," please? (Begging implied)**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! I truly appreciate them. You keep me humble.**_

_**Scorpio11 – World's Best Beta!**_

_**SMeyer – World's Best Author (from whom I don't steal, just borrow)**_

_**Let's get it on…**_

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24. Make Love to Me

##

"It was all so blatantly sexual. There wasn't one sensual thing about it, and I didn't like it at all. I took some shots, but in my mind, it was like a fucking _'Penthouse' _shoot. Hell, I could have picked up two goddamn street walkers and a fucking disposable camera and saved an assload of money," Bella complained as we loaded a shit ton of equipment into the back of my Volvo.

I had to work that weekend to cover for Sean, so my boss had shown mercy and given me Thursday night off. Bella had her seminar with Irina, but she wasn't happy. I'd sent her a text I'd pick her up when she was ready, and when I pulled up to the curb of the studio where the seminar had taken place, she was pissed.

We'd driven back to Stover, and she'd gone to the photography lab, grabbing several lights and different pieces of equipment. It seemed my girl had something on her mind.

"So it was like a night at a strip club?" I joked as I pulled down the hatch on the back of the car and walked around to open her door. I could tell she didn't see the humor in it at all.

"I was actually offended by some of the shots she directed. Nude photography can go one of two ways in my opinion…it can be sexual or it can be sensual. I don't want to be a photographer for Hugh Hefner. I prefer the innuendo of a photo rather than blatancy," she announced as she slid into her seat. I really had no idea what she meant, but I had no doubt in my mind that before the end of the night I'd understand it. Or I'd say I did to get her to stop beating it into me.

I climbed into the car and started it, looking at her. "Okay, so are you going to hock that equipment or what? I actually know a guy," I joked, trying to lighten her mood because she seemed really pissed off.

"I found out Dubrovnik's motivation for getting me into that fucking seminar. Bitch wanted me to commit to signing her as my agent and dumping Jasper. When I told her I already had someone, she laughed. She told me if I had any 'hope to become photographer worthy of notice', I'd be better served signing her. Oh, and she wanted a hell of a cut from what I'd earn. I laughed and told her I'd take my chances. She stormed off, and I think she told me to go fuck myself in Russian," Bella explained using a really bad Russian accent at the appropriate part of it.

"I wondered if there was an ulterior motive when she showed up at my job. Well, you don't need her, so don't give it another thought. Now, why are we hauling around an assload of expensive equipment? Will we be arrested for grand larceny, not that I would mind sharing a jail cell with you," I joked, still trying to lighten the mood.

"I have an idea I hope you'll be on board with," she offered as I began driving us home. That was probably the point where I should have stopped the car and asked her to explain it to me, but _hell_ I loved her, and I'd do anything to support her, regardless of what it was.

As I drove us home, I thought back to the conversation I'd had with the attorney who handled the educational trust over which my father had no control. It was quite enlightening.

"_So, Edward, what can I do to help you? Have you picked a grad school?" Jason Jenks asked. He was an affable man, and I held no animosity toward him because he was just doing his job._

"_I've got a question. With regard to the rest of the money in my trust fund you manage, is there any way to transfer it to someone else if I'm not going to use it, or what happens to it?" I asked. It wasn't a 529 account, it was a private trust, and I knew somewhere along the way, any unused money would have to come to me eventually, it just wasn't clear to me how it worked, and I didn't have the paperwork for it. My parents did._

"_Well, first and foremost, it's to go for your education, but in the event you don't use all of the money, it's transferable to heirs," he answered._

"_Heirs? What, like my kids or my sister?" I asked. _

"_There's a provision in the trust that if there are any monies left after you've finished your college career it can be transferred to any heirs you might have. They can be children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, whomever you designate. You can't cash it out and take the money, but it can be transferred to anyone who's a legal relative for use in furthering education," he responded._

_I thought about it for a moment and asked, "Could it be transferred to a spouse?" _

_I heard papers flipping, and I waited. "Hang on," he called, and I heard the canned music. It wasn't anything remotely entertaining, so I began looking up random shit on the internet to kill time, and I hit on Linus Gallery, reading about the show to which Jasper had referred. It would garner a lot of attention for Bella from what I could tell based on reviews from past shows, so I knew that she had to enter it._

"_Sorry about that, I just wanted to be sure. Um, yeah, you could transfer the proceeds from the trust to a spouse to be used for education. Are you getting married?" he asked._

"_What are the parameters? Is it only tuition, or is it incidental expenses associated with the degree, say travel expense to attend degree-based seminars or expenses associated with shit you'd need for school like books or equipment or lab fees?" I asked anxiously._

"_Well, if it's associated with the degree, it's covered. What's this about?" he asked._

"_You're my attorney for this, right?" I asked._

"_Sure, why?" he responded._

"_I do not want you telling my parents about this call or anything that happens when we talk in the future. That attorney/client privilege shit stands, right? This is outside of my other trust, am I correct?" I asked to be sure._

"_Um, yeah, on this, you're my client, and on the other trust, your father is in charge until…," he assured._

_At that, I cut him off. I didn't want to hear anything about my father. "I'll be in touch," I answered as I hung up. I had my answers, and I knew what I was going to do. I knew if I thought about it long enough, I'd figure it out, and lo and behold, I did._

I helped her carry everything inside our apartment, and I was surprised when she carried the large cases back to the bedroom. I had no idea what she was intending to do, but if it involved the bedroom, hell, I was on board from jump.

After it was all inside, I locked the door and turned to her. "So, what's this about?" I asked.

"Well, I had an idea. I talked to Felix Linus, and he's got a curator on staff who he promised can set the photos without me being there. We can do it by webcam so I don't have to travel. I don't want to submit anything I've done before. I want new pictures, and I want them of us. Now, before you freak out on me, I promise you they'll be tasteful. No one will be able to tell it's us. Will you let me take naked pictures of us?" she asked with a smirk, likely already knowing the answer, the little wise ass.

Would I? Fuck, what _wouldn't_ I do for her? "My beautiful girl, I'll do whatever you ask of me, surely you know that by now," I told her as I kissed her anxious face, starting at her forehead and working my way to her lips. She kissed me back so sweetly that I was instantly putty in her hands.

When she pulled away, she smiled at me shyly. "I love you, Cullen. Now, help me set up the lighting and then we'll eat, take a shower, and get started, okay?" she asked. I took her hand and held it over my heart because, based on what I'd learned that day from the lawyer Bella Swan was going to be Bella Cullen a lot sooner than either of us had anticipated, and I couldn't fucking wait.

After we set the lights around the bed as she instructed, having to move the dresser into the hallway with both of us laughing the whole time about how damn tiny the bedroom actually was, we ate defrosted chicken noodle soup Marie had sent home with us. Bella told me we'd be nude in the shots but not really exposed, and she said she didn't want a full belly on film, so I took her lead.

After a quick, playful shower, we walked into the bedroom with towels around us. She'd lit a few candles 'for effect' because the shots were meant to portray lovers, which we most certainly were, and she wanted the effect of candlelight dancing off our bodies. I was ready to make my debut on film, and I didn't really give a shit what it meant. I wasn't at all embarrassed about my body, and I'd do anything she asked.

She adjusted the lights and pulled out a little hand held thing, holding it up by my head as I sat down on the side of the bed. She looked at it and then adjusted the lights again, facing them to bounce off the bedroom walls. She adjusted the camera, and then she walked over to me with a small black remote in her hand.

"I know it's not very romantic, but I want you to make love to me, and please don't worry if I don't come because I'm just trying to capture the sensuality that you always bring to every encounter, okay? This is the remote for the camera, and I might have to stop you to adjust the shot which might kill the moment, but I promise you I'll make it up to you," she told me as she kissed me. _Hell, where do I sign up?_

"Okay, so what should I do? Do you want some music or something?" I asked.

She walked over to the docking station and dialed up my iPod, finding a playlist that we liked when we had sex. We loved to have sex to music, and I loved to hear the songs throughout the day to remind me of making love to my girl. When Ray LaMontagne started, I was immediately in the mood.

_Can I stay  
here with you  
till the morning?_

_I am so far from home  
and I feel a little stoned…_

_Can I stay  
here with you  
till the morning?_

_There's nothing I want more  
than to wake up on your floor…_

_Lay with me in your thinnest dress  
feel my heart with each caress  
Between your blissful kisses whisper  
'Darling is this love?'  
(Ray LaMontagne, copyrighted)_

Bella stood between my legs, still in the white towel from the shower, her damp hair around her. She looked like a vision in the light that cascaded around the room. "How do you want to do this?" I asked, having never been in the position before.

"What would you do if it was just the two of us?" she asked as she scraped her nails over my scalp in the way she knew I loved. I pulled her closer and kissed her sternum and across her chest, faintly noticing the whirring sound of the camera.

I knew she had to be mindful of her shots, but from what she'd told me, she wanted me to do what we just did naturally, and I was perfectly fine with that. I ignored it all and opened her towel, kissing her breasts and sucking a nipple into my mouth without dropping the towel. Maybe I was a bit mindful of the camera and the fact I really didn't want to show the world my girl's attributes only I'd been privy to, photo shoot or not.

For the next hour, we made love, and she'd give me a direction of "bend your head down so there's only the top of your head" when I was behind her in a position we'd never tried before, or "turn your head to the left and close your eyes" when she was on top of me with the sheet across her ass. One of my favorite positions was when we were on our sides with her facing me, looking into my eyes while I was inside her and the sheet was nowhere in sight, just our naked sides. She'd positioned my arm over her so that it hid her breast, and we were kissing so that the back of my head was to the camera, covering our faces.

It was a wonderful torture because I wanted the shots to be authentic, so I held off coming for the hour because if she wasn't going to, I wasn't going to.

Finally, she pulled me on top of her and whispered with a chuckle, "We're done. Give it to me, big boy." I could tell she was just as worked up as I was, and I didn't hesitate to slam into her, after a few rather wonderful minutes, I couldn't hold back any longer, and for once, she didn't need manual stimulation from me. We let go at the same time, and I collapsed on her chest. I heard the shutter snap on the camera as I rested on top of her but I didn't give a rat's ass. It had been fantastic, and I'd do it again every night if that was what she wanted.

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_**E/N: I know it was short, but I think it was effective! Can't wait to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, favoriting and following, and all of your support in general. MWAH!**_

_**Thanks Scorpio11 – You're a gem!**_

_**SMeyer owns. I borrow.**_

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25. Family Business

##

"Eddie"…_sniff_… "can I come visit?" Katie asked through what I was sure were tears. I had called her on my break because I hadn't really talked to her in a while and that wasn't how our relationship had ever been. She'd been my friend besides my sister, and we'd both been a total fail at keeping up with each other.

"What's wrong, Katelyn?" I asked. I knew she and Garrett had moved from a small apartment where they'd lived after the falling out with my parents. They were living in his parents' basement, which I was sure was stressful, especially since she was pregnant. It answered my question about whether my parents had cut her off as well.

"I just need to get away for a couple of days. Everything is just so fucking complicated," she complained. _Ha! That was a mother fucking understatement._

I remembered how much room we _didn't_ have in our place, but I knew Bella would have my balls if I told her not to come, so I determined that she and Bella could share our bed, and I could sleep on the couch. "Can you get here or do you need me to come pick you up?" I asked.

I could leave early the next morning with it being a Saturday and be back in South Bend before Bella finished the birthday party shoot she was doing that afternoon. Then, on Sunday evening, we could both take her back to Chicago.

"I still have my car. I can drive. I'll be there tomorrow. Are you sure you don't need to check with Bella first?" she asked, sounding a lot happier.

"Sis, you know Bella, and if you need to get away you can always count on us. Send me a text when you leave Chicago so I know when to expect you. You know, I'll worry," I ordered. She laughed and agreed, and we quickly hung up because I needed to get back to work.

When I got home that night, I found Bella in her pajama shorts and one of my wife beaters, no bra…_thank the Lord_…and she was looking at photos she had spread out on the couch, chair, coffee table, and entertainment center. She obviously hadn't heard me come in, so she was clearly deep in thought with music blaring in the background. I walked behind her and leaned down and whispered, "What's so interesting, sexpot?"

Of course, she jumped a mile high, but I caught her around the waist to keep her from tripping over my feet. "You scared the living shit out of me, you jackass," she snapped as she slapped my bicep when she turned around. I tweaked her left nipple in retaliation.

"I wasn't particularly quiet when I came in. What's with all the pictures?" I asked as I waved my hand around the room. She picked up the remote and turned the volume down, turning to look at me with a smile.

"I'm glad you're home. These are the pictures we took last week. I developed them over the week when I had time, and I wanted you to help me pick six for the show at Linus Gallery. I showed a few of them to Alice and Jasper, and they couldn't tell it was us, which was a relief, so I think I'd like to enter the show. What do you think of them?" she asked.

I walked around the room perusing the photos she had laid out on every flat surface, remembering how great it had been when she took the pictures.

There were six she had lined up on the couch which appeared to be in chronological order. The first was a picture of her standing between my legs as I was kissing her chest. Her head was tilted down with her wet hair shielding her face from the camera. All that was visible was my back, the back of my head, and the top of the towel I had on at the time. It was a great shot.

The second one was of the two of us under the sheet from the waist down on our sides facing each other with my arm shielding Bella's breast and her arm hiding my face. The third one caught us as I was rolling Bella on top of me. It was her back with her hair hanging loose and my hands on her hips. I was completely obscured, and there was the faintest hint of her ass with the two dimples above it that I loved to lick when I had the opportunity.

The fourth picture was the two of us without the sheet facing each other, our naked sides exposed, but our faces completely obscured. The fifth one was me lying on top of her after we'd actually had sex. It was again, only my back and her arms around my neck, but it was clear what we'd done.

The final picture wasn't one I remembered. We were both on our sides, me behind her with her back to my chest and my hand covering her left breast. It was only the side of my face, but it appeared I was asleep. "I don't remember this one," I stated as I picked it up to examine it closer. I had the faintest hint of a smile on my face, which made it quite apparent that I was one happy mother fucker at the time.

"That was after you fell asleep. So, what do you think?" she asked. What did I think? Hell, my cock was about to bust the zipper in my khakis just looking at the pictures.

"God, baby, these are fantastic. Are these the six you're thinking of submitting, because I think they're perfect. Can you make another set for us?" I asked as I looked at the six photos she'd lined up. The woman had an eye, and it only solidified in my mind that I intended to follow through on my plans.

"Well, yeah, why?" she asked as she began gathering up the other photos.

"I want us to frame them and put them in our bedroom. If anyone doubts we love each other, I'll take them back to our bedroom and show them these pictures because that's not something anyone could fake. If you can't tell how much I love you based on _that_ look," I insisted as I pointed to the final shot in the series, "then we need to have your mental faculties tested." I was laying the groundwork for the next step in my plan I worried she would balk at, and it seemed like reminding her I was so fucking in love with her it wasn't even funny was a good idea.

"Now, if you could have seen my face, you'd see the same expression," she offered. I knew she was right because, while her face was hidden in the photos, I was looking into her eyes while making love to her, and I knew she loved me.

I leafed through the other photos she'd taken as they rested on the coffee table, and I decided there probably wouldn't be a more perfect moment. "I'm going to go change. Do you have homework?" I asked.

"No. I finished it today before you got home. Are you hungry?" she asked. My gut was so fucking tied up in knots that there was no way I could eat anything in that moment, but I wanted a few minutes to get my shit together.

"Um, yeah, nothing too heavy, though," I replied as I began unbuttoning my shirt. I started toward the bedroom when I heard her clear her throat behind me. I turned to look at her and saw her standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a cocked eyebrow at me.

"What?" I asked, clearly confused because she seemed pissed off.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked cryptically. I looked around to see if I'd uncharacteristically left shit lying around because that wasn't me…that was my beautiful girlfriend. She had a bit of a tendency to be a slob sometimes, but I never minded cleaning up after her.

"All my shit is put away, and I even put _your_ laundry away this morning before I went to class, why?" I pushed.

She walked over to where I was standing and stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down to her soft, full lips. I felt her tongue against my lips, and I wrapped my arms around her little waist and lifted her so I could kiss her properly. Our tongues danced together, causing me to harden even more than I had been, so I simply held her close and walked us into our bedroom, guiding us to the bed.

If my crime was that I didn't kiss her 'hello', a simple 'sorry' wasn't going to cut it because that was something I should have never done. The only appropriate way to make amends was to get her naked and kiss her everywhere, including her beautiful pussy which seemed to enjoy having my tongue or fingers inside of it as much as my hard cock.

"Miss Swan, I believe I skipped our usual greeting because I was too busy staring at your spectacular tits through my t-shirt. I apologize sincerely and plan to make it up to you in such a manner that neither of us forgets it ever again," I told her as I pulled off her shorts and panties.

Being a diligent worker and all, I dove into the task of making it up to her with all of the enthusiasm in my body. My tongue swirled around her entrance and then moved up to her clit and back down again. I was pulling out all of my best stuff, and I didn't relent until she screamed my name as she released on my tongue.

While she was still panting on the edge of the bed, I peeled off my clothes like a man on fire and climbed up on the bed next to her, taking her hand and pulling her up. "Now, for the second part of my apology, I'd like to sink my cock inside you in whatever position you choose," I offered. Bella giggled, which made Edward Jr. do a little dance of his own, and then she hustled up to get on all fours in front of me.

"Ah, I _do_ enjoy the dimples. Whatever you want, baby," I told her as I teased her entrance with the head of my aching cock.

Another life lesson I'd learned since I'd started dating this woman was I really fucking loved going down on her. It gave me a heady feeling to be able to satisfy her sexually, and when I sucked on her clit, she always, always let me know I was the most incredible purveyor of cunnilingus on the planet. I'd have disputed her findings, citing the fact that, as far as I knew, I was the only man to ever purvey said act upon her, but that seemed like it was questioning her intelligence, so I let it go.

I stroked into her and with every "harder, baby," and "faster, oh, God," I followed direction without question. A respectable amount of time later, we were both cursing and raising our voices to the point that the fucks next door banged on the shared wall. It was another successful apology, and I'd have guessed, based on the way she was smiling as we lay in bed, without cameras and lights that time, I was completely forgiven.

"I forgot to tell you I've invited Katie to come for the weekend. I'm sorry, but when the tits come out and the magic pussy makes an appearance, I lose the ability to focus on anything besides fucking you senseless," I told her after we went back to bed at midnight, having eaten peanut butter sandwiches after the incredible sex, my original plan of proposing having been abandoned.

"I got a text from her earlier asking if it was okay. You know, she's always welcome here. I sent a message back that she was more than welcome and asked if Garrett was coming. She replied with 'no'. That was it. Do you know what's going on?" she asked as she settled into my naked chest with my arm resting just above her amazing ass, finger stroking one of the dimples I loved.

"I talked to her earlier, and she was crying. I have no idea what the fuck is going on. I know they're living in his parents' basement, so I'm guessing that's not ideal, but I'm worried something else is wrong. She didn't want to talk about it on the phone, saying it was complicated. If she's stressed about something, that can't possibly be good for the baby, can it?" I asked. Hell, what I knew about babies could fit on the head of a pin. I didn't know if she had any additional insight, but I was sure she knew more than me.

"Well, she's probably hormonal because apparently, that accompanies all of the other glorious things that come with pregnancy. Maybe that's all it is," Bella offered as her finger circled my nipple, sending a shiver down my exhausted spine.

"Mmm. Unless you want another round, Swan, stop doing that. You've got to go photograph twenty, eight-year olds tomorrow. I'd guess you'll need all of the energy in your body to deal with it," I told her with a little smack to the gorgeous ass, reminding her of the birthday party to which she was committed.

"You're an ass," she yawned, thus erasing any ideas I had about going in for another round. We sunk into a wonderful sleep, and I was sure the smile on my face was worthy of another photograph. I know the one I saw on her face was before I closed my eyes.

##

I got up the next morning and pulled the sheets with me, seeing Bella was already out of bed. I smelled something incredible coming from the kitchen, so after a much needed piss, I pulled on a pair of boxers and the wife beater she'd worn the night before and shoved the dirty sheets in the laundry basket.

I went to the hall closet and grabbed another set, tossing them on the foot of the bed, and then I went to the only other room in the place to see Bella in a pair of jeans and a blue blouse I loved, talking to my sister at our table. I looked at the clock to see it was just after 9:00 AM, so my sister must have hauled ass pretty early to be at our place by then.

I walked toward the two of them, seeing both of them red eyed with tear-streaked faces. I kissed my sister on the top of her head and then my girl on her slightly swollen lips, and I turned to address the two of them. "What's with the water works at 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning?" I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed a plate because Bella had made cinnamon rolls with crumbled up bacon on top.

"Sit," Bella ordered as she went to the fridge and pulled out the milk for my coffee. She grabbed me a fork so I didn't eat like a fucking savage, and she dished up two of those fan-fucking-tastic pieces of heaven she'd created from the recipe Marie had given her.

I looked at my sister, who looked like death warmed over, and I waited for her to explain the dark circles under her eyes and her gaunt appearance. Katie was never a big girl at all, but for a pregnant woman, she looked fucking emaciated. "Katelyn, aren't you eating?" I asked as I saw she had a cinnamon roll in front of her untouched.

I turned to my right and saw Bella's, too, was untouched. "What's going on?" I demanded, pushing my plate away.

Katie began sobbing, and in response, Bella walked around the table and wrapped her arms around my sister's shoulders, pulling her into her stomach and stroking Katie's hair. It was the thing my girl was best at…comfort.

I looked at Bella expectantly because someone was going to give me some fucking answers before I went to that goddamn pawn shop and bought a gun to hunt Garrett's ass down. I was very certain it had everything to do with him, and he wasn't going to hurt my little sister and get away with it as long as I took a breath.

"Okay, look, before you go all caveman, it's bad, but it's not anything physical, okay? It's got nothing to do with your parents…well, not directly. It seems Garrett is _using_," Bella confessed as my sister sobbed harder.

"Using what?" I gritted out, though I already knew the answer to the question.

"Cocaine and prescription drugs, apparently. Look, you can't go kill him because he's sleeping off a binge. It seems he's crumbled under the pressure of Katie being cut off and having to live with his parents. She's transferred her education trust to him so he can finish grad school. The student loans he'd already taken out were refunded to him, and he's fucking the money away instead of paying off the loans," Bella summarized.

_Well, so much for my fucking idea._ Yet again, my sister had ruined my goddamn plans. How she was so fucking astute about shit was beyond me. It was almost like I came up with the ideas and she put them into action before I even had a chance.

I sat for a moment, watching my sister fall apart, and I got pissed. That son-of-a-bitch didn't deserve my sister, and he needed to understand it, if he never understood another thing in his life. "First, has he ever been aggressive with you?" I asked calmly.

"No, never," Katie sobbed. _At least he had that in his favor_.

"I'm going to guess that a license-seeking pharmacist wouldn't fair very well with a felony possession charge on his record," I suggested. _Bella got it immediately. My poor sister, not so much._

"How would he ever get caught? His parents shield him from everything," Katie replied.

"You turn him in…or threaten to turn him in. If you don't, I _will._ I'll call the authorities in Chicago and report him if he doesn't knock it off," I threatened.

"Edward, you _can't_. His degree would be useless," Katie moaned. I wasn't going to let her get to me because that shit was going to stop immediately.

"Listen to me, Katelyn. You're carrying a baby. Do you really want your child to have a drug-addicted pharmacist for a father? If he gets his license, what's to say he won't fill the wrong prescription and kill someone? You have to think this through, sweetheart. I think…" I began, hitting on an idea.

I went to the phone and called the one number I didn't think I'd call anytime soon, but there was a family crisis, and goddammit, we were a family…by blood, at least.

"Hello?" I heard.

"You and Dad need to come to South Bend today. Katie's here. Put aside this selfish bullshit and get here because your daughter and your grandchild need you," I ordered.

"Where do you live?" Mom asked. I gave her the address and hung up the phone without another word.

"Why'd you call them? I don't work for her anymore, you know," Katie responded, reminding me just how fucking checked out I really was with her.

"You don't? Where do you work?" I asked like the fucking clueless moron I'd become.

"Crate & Barrel," she responded. I shook my head because my sister had completely surrendered her independence to a drug-addled idiot, and I promised myself I'd help her as much as I could.

"I'm going to go make the bed, and Katelyn, you're going to take a nap. You look like hell. I'll take a quick shower and get ready for my party this afternoon, and you can sleep. Edward, will you help me?" Bella asked.

I rose from my chair and walked around the table where my sister sat, looking completely exhausted. "Eat, Katie. You've got to take care of my niece or nephew," I told her as I kissed her head again, following Bella down the hallway.

Once we were in the bedroom, Bella shut the door and unfurled the fitted sheet to put on our bed. "So, what's your plan, Einstein?" she asked as she tucked the sheet under the mattress on her side of the bed.

"Well, I'm fine with the fact that my parents give two shits less about me, but their daughter needs them. Look, we don't have it to help her, and my fucking parents are loaded. If she doesn't work for them, I'm sure they have no idea what the hell is going on with her. You and I will figure our shit out together, but my sister doesn't have _anyone_. Esme and Carlisle Cullen are going to step up to the plate on this one," I demanded as I unfurled the top sheet.

Bella quickly adjusted the sheet and sloppily tucked it in which I quickly pulled out and made the hospital corners I liked. She did that shit on purpose because she hated changing the sheets, but she loved climbing into a well-made bed. _Okay, maybe we really were in a lesbian relationship as she'd suggested when we first started dating._

"Well, I'll go along with whatever because I really don't want to fight with them, but I hope they'll at least remember when I was in their home, I was always respectful. I know it's not Oak Park, but this is our home, and I expect them not to be disrespectful," she demanded.

I was certainly on board with her assessment. "Love, I promise you if they make one misstatement, I'll toss them out on the hippy asses," I offered as we pulled the comforter up on the bed and put the pillowcases on the pillows.

Once it was perfect, Bella went to take a shower, and I went back into the kitchen, finding my sister had not only eaten her cinnamon roll but another, and she'd actually curled up on the couch, having pulled the quilt Marie had given Bella for her birthday over her body and was sleeping like a baby.

I sat on the coffee table and looked at her innocent face. I remembered all of the vacations we'd taken in the UP of Michigan at our grandparents' place, running along the shore, me chasing her, and all of the fun we used to have.

I remembered being grounded for a week in middle school because my sister came home from school crying when some boy, whose name I didn't even remember, had called her a bitch. I beat the crap out of the kid and got my ass in a sling, but to my little sister, I was her hero.

When I'd stopped being her hero, I didn't know, but I was pretty sure it was when I'd surrendered to her decision that marrying Garrett was the right thing to do. The news he was using drugs made me want to drive to his parents' house and beat the crap out of him, but I knew she loved him and that act would likely cause more harm than good.

If my parents were so checked out with her they didn't see what was going on, I'd remind them. I didn't give a shit they didn't care what was going on with me…their daughter needed them, and if I had to yell and threaten, they'd step up and do the right thing.

I picked her up and carried her back to our bed, placing her on top of the comforter and tucking the quilt around her. I went to the bathroom and stripped off my clothes, climbing into the small shower with Bella. She was my grounding rod, and she always knew the right thing to do. For a fleeting moment, I wished I'd have asked her about calling my parents before I actually had, but what was done, was done.

"Baby, I'm sorry they're coming here, but I just thought they needed to check back in with her. Look, if you don't want to deal with them, go to Alice and Jasper's when you finish the party today, and I'll call you when they're gone," I offered as she rinsed her hair, handing me the shampoo and changing places with me to allow me under the spray. I truly missed my shower back in Oak Park. It had six shower heads and it was a dream…especially compared to the stupid thing we were living with. _Someday…_

"Nope," she answered simply. That was another thing I loved about her. She was supportive of me and my stupid spontaneous decisions, and she'd stand beside me, supporting whatever fool notion I was arguing because she loved me. _What more could I ask for?_

I finished rinsing my hair and was compelled to do something I hoped I wouldn't live to regret. "Stay here. I'll be right back," I called as I climbed out of the shower. Luckily before I opened the door and strolled into the bedroom naked, I pulled on Bella's pink robe. I quietly opened the door and walked in, going to my side of the dresser and opening my underwear drawer, pulling out the velvet box that Marie had given me.

I heard a giggle behind me and turned to see my sister with her head propped on her hand laughing at me in the pink robe.

"Shut it," I whispered.

"Are you sure this is the right time to give it to her?" Katie asked.

"It's actually the perfect time," I whispered.

"Let me see the ring before you give it to her," she ordered. I walked over to the bed, making sure the robe stayed closed and held out my hand.

Kate picked it up and looked at it, smiling at me. "Eddie, it's perfect. Where'd you find it?" she whispered.

"I'll tell you later. The hot water tank is only so big," I teased as I hauled ass back into the shower. I had the ring on the end of my pinky finger, and I proceeded to grab the body wash, beginning to wash her back as she stood under the spray.

"What was so important?" Bella asked as she turned to rinse herself and then switched places with me.

I took a deep breath, knowing time was limited because the hot water would run out soon, and I wanted to put it out there before I had a chance to second guess myself. I took the body wash and began washing my arms. I cleared my throat and began.

"Look, you know I love you. I want to ask you something and there are a lot of things riding on this answer so think it through, but please, know I mean it with all of my heart. It's come up before, but this time, I'm deadly serious. Bella, will you marry me?' I asked as I pulled the ring off and presented it to her.

I wasn't on one knee like I should have been because there just wasn't room for it. There weren't roses or champagne because we really didn't have the money for it. We were a man and a woman standing naked in the world's smallest fucking shower, and I presenting a ring that was a family heirloom from _her_ family. I had nothing to offer her except myself, and I hoped and prayed with everything inside me she'd accept it...and me.

I didn't go into details regarding all of the benefits and drawbacks. It was a simple question, and I wanted a yes or no answer. That was all it was. Did she love me enough to want to commit herself to me for the rest of her life at the ripe old age of twenty?

I hoped there would come a day in the future when I would have the happy circumstance to tell our kids about their mother's reaction, leaving out the naked part of course. I'd tell them how she teared up and squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck. I'd tell them how she kissed me all over my face, chanting "yes…yes…a thousand times yes." I'd be proud to tell them when I asked their mother to marry me, a man with barely a pot to piss in and a window to throw it out, who knew more about adhesives than any human should ever know, she said yes without hesitation.

"God, this ring is so…wait, this is Gran's ring," she remarked.

"Um, yeah. She told me if I had the guts to propose, she wanted you to have it. Look, I'll get you one and…" I began, second guessing my decision to use that particular ring.

"No! God no! If Gran gave you this, she knows we're meant to be, Edward. I love you so much, and I look forward to being your wife someday," she answered.

I was happy she'd said yes, but she needed to understand it wasn't going to be a long engagement because financing needed to be in place sooner rather than later. "Um, baby, not someday…I was thinking Christmas," I answered as I wrapped my arms around her tiny little body which I loved so much. My cock was giving her due respect, though unfortunately, the shower wasn't big enough to do it properly.

"Christmas?" she shrieked.

"Um, yeah, we need to do it at Christmas," I responded without further explanation. The day was going to be full enough without going into the rest of it. I was just fucking happy with the 'yes'.

"Are _you_ pregnant?" she joked. I laughed and picked her up, rethinking the shower size. Just as I had her pinned to the wall about to stroke into her, the fucking water turned ice cold.

"Fuck," I gasped as I quickly put her down and turned off the water which seemed to take care of my hard-on quite handily.

Bella chuckled. "I guess we'll take this up on Monday?"

"Monday, fuck no. Tonight?" I asked.

"Katie," Bella reminded. _Shit, I forgot my sister was staying with us, and we lived in a goddamn matchbox._

"Fine, but Monday night, I expect you to scream my name and say 'yes' a thousand times," I demanded as we wrapped towels around us.

"Agreed, but you'll explain why in hell we need to get married by Christmas, right?" she asked. I kissed her lips feeling so fucking giddy.

"I'll explain it all. I love you, Mrs. Cullen," I joked.

"Not quite yet," she chanted as she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. I followed her after we saw that Katie wasn't on our bed, and we dressed, staying away from each other because I would have thrown that woman down and fucked her like crazy. She was my fiancée, and I was going to remind her of it at every opportunity.

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_**E/N: So, the next chapter is a doozy! Any ideas on how things will go?**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Hello, BBS! Thank you for your reviews. We're almost done here. One more regular chapter and a short epi are all that are left. I truly appreciate your support! **_

_**Scorpio11 – Thank you for being a great beta, a supportive voice when I kinda freak a bit, and a kick in the ass when I go off the reservation.**_

_**SMeyer owns Twilight. I only borrow.**_

_**\\\**_

26. Shocking Surprises

"Shit," Bella gasped as the buzzer rang from the security door. We all knew it was my parents, and none of us were looking forward to it, but it was absolutely fucking necessary.

Bella was home from the birthday party early because the two ponies that had been pressed into service for the party had "the squirts" and messed up the whole back yard, sending all twenty kids into the house which caused the mother to abruptly end the party.

The bad thing was Bella's relating of the events as they unfolded sent my sister into the bathroom to rid herself of the jelly-covered banana that she'd eaten for lunch. It was an unfortunate incident all the way around.

"Okay, deep breaths," I advised as I went to the door and punched the button, releasing the security door for entrance.

A few minutes later, after the three of us had paced nervously and tried to psyche up each other, the knock came on the door. I turned to see my sister and Bella sitting on the couch, holding hands. "United we stand…divided we fall," I chanted as I walked over to the door and opened it, seeing the disapproving faces of my parents in the hallway.

"This is where you _live_?" my mother asked judgmentally. Okay, my place of residence was the last fucking thing we needed to worry about at that point in time. We had much bigger fish to fry that afternoon, and I didn't appreciate their hippy-condemnatory asses at that moment.

"I need you two to focus on the issue at hand. It is certainly not my address or anything to do with my life. I'd have never called if this problem was one I could handle on my own, but you have a daughter who is pregnant and going through some shit, and the fact you two had no problem checking out on the both of us is something we'll take up another time. Come in and mind your manners in _my_ home," I ordered.

Mom and Dad followed me into the room, and I heard my mother suck in a breath at the sight of Katie. She was so fucking thin, with a tiny bulge under her t-shirt, and she looked like hell. The vibrancy my sister always had about her was completely gone, and I knew my parents could see it as well.

Bella was sitting with her arm around Katie's shoulders protectively. It was exactly what I expected from the woman who was going to be my wife. She had a fearlessness about her I admired and drew from, which gave me the strength to stand up to my parents, yet-a-fucking-gain.

"I called you because Katie needs to tell you what's going on in her life since the two of you have basically left her in the dust. Garrett's using…coke and prescription drugs. She signed over her educational trust fund for him to go to pharmacology school, and when he got the refund of his tuition from his student loans, he went on a binge. Consequently, they're living in his parents' basement. Are you two proud of yourselves for this?" I scolded as I pointed to my sister on the couch with tears on her cheeks.

"Eddie, that's not really fair. Mom and Dad never liked Garrett, and maybe they were right. Maybe I made a mistake, but I just need to figure out what to do about my baby. I can't stay with his parents, but I can't turn him in. I just need somewhere to…" Katie began defending our parents and then broke down. Bella held her and stroked her hair, and as I caught the glint of the diamond on her finger, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I'd made the right choice for my life.

"Katelyn, what's going on?" Dad asked. Bella released her, and she ran to my father's arms, which he didn't hesitate to wrap around her, thankfully.

Bella walked over to where I stood and took my hand, leading me to the bedroom and closing the door. "I'd say they need a bit of private time," she whispered as she hugged me and quietly cried over my sister's predicament. Hell, I was trying not to cry myself.

We settled on the bed, and I held Bella next to me as she dried her tears on my shirt, then looking into my eyes. "So, we've got some time…why do we need to get married by Christmas?"

I'd hoped to save the discussion for after my family vacated the premises, but the way it had all played out offered us time I hadn't banked on. I took a deep breath and responded, "Okay. I called my attorney and checked into doing exactly what Katie did. I'll put off grad school and sign over what's left in my trust to you as my wife. It will cover your last two years of school. I'll get him to look into whether I can pay off your outstanding loans, and I'll probably still have a chunk to cover my first year of grad school. I'll go at night and find a day job, but if we're married at Christmas, we can set the paperwork in motion to make sure you're covered for next year," I explained.

She gasped and started shaking her head no. I held up my hand to stop her because it was something on which I wasn't prepared to waver. "Don't even start. We both know I can get a job with my undergrad and go to night school. You can finish your undergrad, and you can decide if you want to go to grad school. We're not going to argue about this, okay? I've made up my mind, and not that I don't think you have a say in this, but it's what I want to do," I explained.

I saw her beginning to tear up, and I had to fucking stop it because the tears fucking crippled me. "Please don't start crying because I can't take it. I love you, and I know what I want to do, okay? We're making a life together, and I want you to have everything you deserve. This isn't really a topic up for debate, okay?" I asked as I held her on my lap and kissed her softly.

She was so damn beautiful in that perfect moment, and when I looked into her watery brown eyes, I knew I was doing exactly what was right. It wasn't really a big thing in my mind. I'd support her while she finished school, and later, if I decided to go to grad school, she'd support me.

"You're parents are going to shit a brick," she remarked. She was right on that account, but I didn't care.

"They'll get used to the idea, or we'll just pretend I don't have parents," I suggested, rather immaturely.

"Edward, you can't…" she began her protest just as there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Ah, saved by the hell," I joked. I got up from the bed, pulling her with me. I opened the door to find my sister on the other side, her eyes red and swollen.

"So?" I asked as I pulled her into my arms to hug her because she looked like she really fucking needed one.

"They want to talk to you," she informed. I pulled away and dried her tears with my fingertips.

I took a deep breath and turned to Bella. "I'll try to get them out of here as soon as possible." I eased Katie into Bella's arms and closed the door behind me. I walked to where my parents were sitting on the couch and sat down in a chair to the side.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked, trying to remain calm because going off on them wasn't anything I wanted to do. The situation was for shit as it was…me yelling wouldn't help a fucking thing, and it certainly wouldn't help my sister.

"We're going to take Katie home with us and get this mess straightened out. Why didn't you call us when you found out about this?" Dad asked accusatorily.

I shoved my hand through my hair, reminding myself to get a haircut, and doing my damnedest to stave off a migraine I could see on the horizon. "I did, as a matter of fact. She just got here at nine this morning, and after I found out what was wrong, I called you. If you two wouldn't have checked out on her in the first place, you'd have known this shit for yourself," I explained as calmly as I could.

"Let's not get off topic. What are you doing with your life?" Mom asked. I'd have thought it was obvious…living in romantic bliss in a shitty two room apartment with the most perfect woman in the world. Apparently, it wasn't as obvious to my mother.

"Well, let's see. Since last we convened, I've moved into this little place with my new fiancée. I've taken a job working four nights a week at Office Max in the adhesives product line. I tutor two days a week at school, and I'm attending classes full-time. Bella's also attending school full-time. She's working at a restaurant and at the campus bookstore, and she takes photographs of birthday parties and the like, where, apparently, it's not uncommon for a pony to shit all over the yard and break up the party early. How about you two?" I answered sarcastically.

My parents looked at each other in shock. I wasn't sure which piece of information caught their attention, but something sure as hell did. My father rose from the couch, pacing in front of it with his eyes closed, which really wasn't smart in a strange place because he banged his shin on the coffee table, causing a litany of curse words to spew forth, much to my surprise.

"Fiancée? You're fucking engaged?" my father asked. _Ah, I guess that was the thing that caught their attention._

"I am. We're getting married at Christmas," I volunteered, waiting for the fireworks I was sure would begin to shoot off at any moment.

"Is she pregnant too?" my mom asked.

"No, but someday we hope to have children," I answered cryptically. I was actually looking forward to seeing the direction the conversation was going to take.

"Then why would you get married at this point in time?" Dad asked. I took a deep cleansing breath and pinched the bridge of my nose just as the headache slammed into me.

"We're getting married at Christmas so I can transfer the remaining money in my education trust to Bella so she can finish college. After she gets her degree, I'll go to night school and get my MBA, but I'm not going right now. After graduation, I'll find some sort of a full-time job and support her while she finishes school. As you could probably guess, the wedding will be very small," I further informed them.

My dad looked at my mom and shook his head. "Did you tell him?" he asked my mom. She shook her head no.

"How'd you find out you get your trust at twenty-five regardless of what I say? Did Jenks tell you?" he asked. _That was fucking news to me._ I had no idea about anything with regard to my trust fund.

"As you know, you've never shared the conditions surrounding my trust fund. I only know you have control of it, and if I didn't do as you said, you'd cut me off, which you've successfully done. I believe you can tell we're making it just fine, so the whole trust fund bullshit is moot. Give it to a charity, as I told you last time I saw you. Hell, give it to Katelyn because she's going to need it more than me. Obviously, Bella and I can make our own way," I replied stiffly. I left out all of the 'fuck you's and 'shove it up your asses' that crossed my mind during my little speech. I figured they really wouldn't help the situation at all. _Hey, look at that…I'm growing up._

"I'll sign it over to you now. There's enough money for you both to go to grad school, buy a house and see the world. Just don't get married so young," my dad bargained.

I thought about it, knowing it would solve all of our problems and afford us a good life, but it wouldn't be a life we'd made together. It would be the easy way out, and as shitty as our jobs were and as shitty as our apartment was, they were _ours_, and we didn't have to answer to anyone for them. We didn't need anyone's help, and in that moment, I was actually quite proud of us.

"Thanks, but no thanks. We're doing fine without it. Mo' money…mo' problems," I responded, quoting the Notorious B.I.G. The man was a musical genius.

My parents looked at each other and looked at me with disbelief. "You don't want it? You want to live in this horrible place and work so hard to make ends meet?" Mom asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I love her so much, and I want to marry her and take care of her as best I can. She takes care of me as well, you know. She's so damn talented, and I know she's going to be successful. I can wait for my career. She can't.

"Right now is Bella's time to shine, and I'll do everything I can to see she does…short of putting off marrying the woman. That's the part where I'm going to be selfish," I informed them. I heard a sniff and turned to see Bella and Katie standing behind me, both of them crying. I rose from the chair and walked over to them, putting my arms around their shoulders.

"I'm sorry if you don't want to be a part of our lives, but I know what I want, and I know how to get it, and none of that involves compromising my principles over money," I answered as Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her head in my shoulder.

My father started laughing and pulled out his cell phone, walking toward the window and dialing a number. I saw my mother smiling at us with tears on her face, and I had no idea what the hell was going on.

"Hey, it's Carlisle. We're good, and I'll be damned if you didn't win. Look, we're at Edward and Bella's place. Yeah, they have. I'll let them call you later and fill you in, but I just wanted to let you know you were right. I'll have the fishing rod sent by FedEx tomorrow. I look forward to it. Bye," he said as he flipped his phone closed and shoved it back into his pocket.

"Bella, you're parents are going to be expecting a call from you tonight. We're so damn proud of you three, I can't begin to tell you," he addressed us, making me wonder if he'd actually snapped, or if he and Mom had been eating the 'special' brownies again.

"Sorry? Come again?" Bella asked, articulating the exact phrase rolling around in my confused mind.

"We made a bet with the Swans you kids wouldn't be able to take care of yourselves without our money… well, not Bella, mind you. I know she's able to take care of herself. Any teenage girl who would clean up dog poop for extra money isn't afraid of hard work. It was you and Katie I was worried about. You two have grown up with anything and everything you ever wanted, which was why we were so dead set that you finish college and go to grad school so you'd be able to take care of yourselves.

"That's the reason I've pushed so hard for you to go to Oxford, Edward. I know your mother and I have given you and your sister everything you ever wanted, and I wanted you to have the wherewithal to take care of yourselves in the event anything happened to the investments wherein your trusts lie. We talked about it a little with the Swans on the plane to Vegas, and they said they thought you two would be able to take care of yourselves without the money. Charlie mentioned Bella was a hard worker, and if she was with you, she saw something in you that gave him the faith you'd be able to make it work," Dad explained. I know I stood gaping at them. I couldn't believe that shit. They'd obviously gone over the edge.

"That doesn't explain why her parents refused to co-sign for her student loans," I snapped, quite pissed off at their revelation.

"They really weren't going to do that. We weren't sure if you two were really in love or just being impetuous, so they decided to throw up another roadblock to see how you'd react. The fact you were willing to sacrifice your education so Bella could finish school and all of the things the two of you are doing to be able to make it on your own…well, I'm sorry we behaved the way we did, but we just wanted you to see that real life wasn't going to be easy. Unfortunately, Katelyn, we had no idea Garrett would crumble as he did, but we're proud of you as well. We'll get Garrett the help he needs, and then you'll need to figure out how you want to proceed, but…" Dad took a deep breath.

Mom rose from the couch and walked over to us, hugging us. "I'm so sorry that we resorted to this tough love behavior, but I can see you two will be just fine. Carlisle, give it to him," Mom ordered.

My dad went to her purse and pulled out a thick envelope, handing it to me with a huge smile on his face. "It's yours. You do with it as you wish. Now, about this wedding…" he began.

Well, it could have gone a lot worse. At the end of the day, which ended late in the evening, I was four million dollars richer, and my parents were my parents again. It was a lot to process, but I suppose they saw what they wanted in me.

At that point in time, I had no idea what the rest of my life would be because it was all so surreal. The one thing I knew for sure…we were fucking moving to a place with air conditioning before the next summer.

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_**E/N: Okay, all you nay-sayers can hop on the support bus now (we're going to a winery where the walls are decorated with Rob porn…bribery is not beneath me). Yes, it was a lesson. This chapter, as a matter of fact, was the impetus of the whole story. Think back…he had the flashy car…he had the great apartment where Emmett didn't have to pay rent…he bought Bella gifts…he mentioned on more than one occasion that his parents were very career driven…after the whole Vegas thing where he put everything on the credit card which his parents' paid, along with his bail money on Katie's credit card, It's no wonder C & E were worried.**_

_**So, lemme hear from ya!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: Here we are at the end! This is the last chapter, with the Epilogue to post on Friday. I'm so grateful to all of you for your interest, favorites, rec's, and reviews of this story! You have no idea how much they all mean to me.**_

_**Scorpio11 – Thank you for taking this on from jump. She's made it a much better story, friends. I truly owe her a big kiss…MWAH!**_

_**SMeyer owns. I borrowed and will return them Friday night!**_

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27. Here Comes the Groom

##

"Here," Emmett stated as he handed me a box that was wrapped in white paper.

"Aw, you got me a gift? I hope you know that I plan to be faithful to your sister. I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings, but she's my whole world," I joked as I opened the attached card.

"Fuck you," Emmett responded, just as I expected.

I looked at the card and saw the small photo of the two of us from the "Acts of Love" series she'd taken and was set to show at Linus Gallery. I flipped it open as I walked away from Emmett because whatever words Bella had written were for only me.

_My love,_

_I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about this new adventure. With you, I could climb Kilimanjaro._

_This gift isn't anything like what you gave up, but as much as I searched, I couldn't find it. You know better than to try to pull one over on me. I put your damn underwear away, Cullen._

_It won't take the place of what you sacrificed, but maybe it's the start of a new heirloom? _

_I love you so much. See you at the end of the aisle. I'll be the one with the huge smile._

_All my love,_

_Bella_

I closed the card and slipped it into the pocket of my jacket. I ripped the paper off and opened the box, looking inside and smiling. It was a gold pocket watch that was obviously an antique. I pushed the stem and the cover opened, revealing an inscription.

_**To my love on our wedding day.  
Samantha  
1927**_

Directly under it, was another inscription that blew my mind.

_**And to my love on our wedding day.  
Isabella  
2012**_

I was actually speechless. It was perfect, and while it wasn't my grandfather's pocket watch, it probably meant more to me than the other one. I coughed and tried to clear the lump from my throat as I slipped it in my pocket. Only Emmett Swan could pull me back from the brink of emotion where I found myself teetering.

"So, dude, I'm only going to tell you this one more time. That's my sister, and if she doesn't finish school before she pops out one of your kids, I'll kick your ass," Emmett threatened.

The idiot was convinced the reason we were getting married on Christmas Eve was because Bella was "popped up" as he so eloquently put it. I wondered how the blue blood Hales felt about his colorful vocabulary.

We weren't in Chicago. We weren't in Bluefield. We weren't in Vegas. We were in Muncie. We were getting married in Marie's living room. She was the only person in our lives who had been one-hundred percent supportive of us from jump, and we were getting married at her house. Her boyfriend, Victor, turned out to be a retired Episcopal minister, unbeknownst to the family, and he was performing the ceremony.

After the money came, we pondered what to do with it, finally settling on giving half of it away to charity. We put the other half away, after we rented a much better apartment, and we followed through with getting married because, really, it was what we wanted. Bella continued to work at the book store, and I continued to tutor at school. We had, however, dumped the jobs at the restaurant and Office Max, but we were still working.

I was going to pursue my MBA at Notre Dame. Bella wanted to finish her degree at Stovers, and I didn't feel the need to go to Kellogg or Booth. Thankfully, our parents didn't say a fucking word about our decisions. Clearly, they knew their little bet hadn't exactly endeared them to us, and while we were all trying to work our way back to being family, it wasn't exactly easy.

"I'm curious. Where are you going to law school?" I asked Emmett as I tied my tie in the guest room of Marie's home. Bella, Alice, and Katie were in Marie's room getting ready, and Rosalie was actually going to play the piano for the ceremony. I was surprised, but hell, everything was a surprise to me of late. Life threw things your way, and how you handled them was a statement to your character, so I quickly learned not to judge people because I never got it right.

"Dude, her dad helped me get a fucking excellent score on my LSAT's, so I applied to the big ones…NYU, Columbia, and Dartmouth. Rosie's actually going to go to law school as well. We applied to the same schools. We're just waiting to hear," he informed. The three of us were set to graduate in May, and I knew Emmett was going into law, but I was surprised about Rosalie. _Again, never judge a book and all of that sappy shit._

We weren't going on a honeymoon after the wedding. We were waiting until Spring Break when the show at Linus Gallery opened to go to California. Felix had loved Bella's photos. I thought it was quite fitting, and he demanded she be at the gallery for the opening of the show. I'd done some research and decided we could go to the opening and then spend our honeymoon on Catalina Island. I'd found a villa there that looked pretty fucking spectacular and rented it for the long weekend we'd take to be in California.

That was the thing about money. You could do shit without thinking, which always made _me_ think. I wanted to do everything for Bella, but I knew she wasn't one for over-the-top gestures, so I had to rein it in. It wasn't easy, but our short honeymoon was one thing I'd splurged on whether she liked it or not.

We both heard the piano, and Emmett looked at me with a smirk on his face. "Well, buddy, hand 'em over," he ordered as he held out his hand. I really had no fucking idea what the hell he was talking about.

"I gave you the rings, asshole. Tell me you didn't lose them," I bitched. They were simple bands, but they were what we'd picked out…well, they were from _Cartier_, but Bella didn't actually know that's where they were from or how much they'd cost because I only showed her pictures of what I liked. _Maybe I was still a little spoiled?_

"I got 'em…I got 'em. I was talkin' about your balls. I'm sure my sister has a very special place to keep them," Emmett joked. God, he was an idiot.

I wasn't about to let anything dim my mood that day. "Fuck, she already has 'em in her purse," I joked right back, causing him to erupt in laughter like my best friend had always done.

He finally quit laughing and looked at me seriously, which made me nervous. "Hey, I'm really happy about this, you know. You and Silver Bells, you're really meant to be. Welcome to the family," he remarked as he hugged me and then bolted from the room. I felt the shoulder of my tux, and it felt a little damp. _ Who the fuck knew Emmett Swan had it in him to get all misty eyed. Not me, that was for sure_.

##

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you felt like you didn't know if you were awake or asleep? Have you felt like everything was moving in slow motion, and you really couldn't tell if it was a dream or not? That was exactly how I felt as I saw Charlie Swan with tears in his eyes walking his one and only daughter…his most prized possession…down the short aisle to me. She was holding onto him like grim death which had me worried a little until I happened to catch a gander at the heels she was wearing, having to stifle a chuckle. My girl wasn't one to enjoy high heels for any lengthy period of time.

She looked stunning. Her hair was up, and she was wearing the earrings I'd given her as a wedding gift, along with the bracelet I'd given her when we first got together. She was absolutely perfect, and as she slowly walked through the parted crowd in the living room where I stood next to the Christmas tree with Emmett and Jasper, she was the only thing I saw.

I didn't focus on her aunt, uncle, or my parents. I didn't focus on her mother crying or her grandmother standing next to Renee. I didn't focus on the photographer, a friend of Marie's, who was taking the pictures for free. Bella wanted to develop them herself, so she'd brought her equipment and set up the living room after she'd given the man specific instructions.

When Charlie stopped at the end of the very small aisle, he looked at me with a stern face. "I'm trusting you to take good care of her. I can find you, you know." He placed her small hand in mine, and I nodded to him in agreement, knowing every threat he didn't say out loud and agreeing to suffer the consequences at his hands if I ever hurt his daughter. If I ever hurt her, I'd welcome his punishment.

"Do you, Edward Anthony…"

"I do."

"Do you, Isabella Marie…"

"I do, forever."

"I now pronounce…"

I didn't wait for the end of it. "I love you, Bella," I told her as I pulled her to me and kissed her gently at first. I had been holding her hands in mine, but that wasn't good enough. I swept her into my arms and lifted her to my level, kissing her with the promise of all of the love in my heart forever, just as she'd said.

When I placed her back on her wobbly feet, I chuckled at her flushed face. "So, Mrs. Cullen, shall we?" I asked.

She laughed a hearty laugh with a huge smile on her face, and that was all the fuck I needed. She was mine and I was hers, and we'd promised each other forever.

Well, we'd start with that and see where it went. I'd promise her many forevers if I thought there was the possibility of it, because in my mind, there was not one other woman on the planet who was meant for me more than Isabella Swan-Cullen. _Oh, she'd decided to hyphenate because of her career, but as long as she shared my name, I didn't give a shit about a hyphen. She was finally my wife._

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_**E/N: Well, there we are. I know many of you were pissed about both sets of parents, but we all know that people aren't perfect. I tried to offer you a different perspective regarding the parents because if you read my stuff, usually Carlisle and Esme are the model parents. I decided to give them a few faults this time, and if you hated it, I'm sorry…but I wouldn't change a thing.**_

_**I hope to hear from you!**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Till next time…xoxo**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**A/N: Happy Friday! It's bittersweet that I give you this chapter, but I'm so pleased that you all loved it! We're just over 700 reviews, and I'm humbled. Thank you so much for your support. I hope I've done the end justice to you.**_

_**Scorpio11 – You, my dear one, have been a God-send for me. Thank you for your insights, questions, corrections, and support. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of it. Xoxo**_

_**SMeyer owns the characters. I hereby return them…for now. I've got something in the "hoppah" (as my friends in New England say). Favorite me as an author if you're interested in anything I might have coming up. You just never know : )**_

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28. EPILOGUE: The HEA

##

I heard the thud from my home office, and I had no idea what it was. "Bella?" I called. It sounded like it came from upstairs, and I knew she'd been in her darkroom developing photos from a shoot she'd done over the previous weekend of a stuffy Chicago wedding. She didn't want to do it, but the money the parents of the bride had offered her was too much to turn down, as she'd told me, and she was using it to set up an inner-city photography lab at a community center on the south side of Chicago.

I wasn't exactly fucking thrilled she was doing it because it wasn't in the best neighborhood, but it was something near and dear to her heart, so like every other fucking thing she'd come up with over the five years we'd been married, I supported her.

Bella had finished her degree at Stovers, and the show at Linus Gallery had gone so well she was signed as a freelance photographer for a couple of high-profile magazines. She was selective of the shoots, but she'd definitely made a name for herself. If the Randolph family hadn't offered her a hundred grand to do their daughter's wedding, she'd never have done it. Her days of wedding shoots or birthday parties or any of that shit were long behind her, but her lab at the community center needed equipment, so she took the job.

I'd actually gotten my doctorate in finance at Notre Dame, and I was back working for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in their international finance division. We'd bought Jim and Vicki Turner's house after he transferred to the Reserve Bank in San Francisco, and we'd moved in with a few minor changes. We loved the house, and it was somewhere we were looking forward to raising a family.

Katie and Garrett had stayed together after he went to a private rehabilitation facility for six months. He'd missed the birth of his son, Seth, but he'd been clean for four years, and he was working as a chemist, his pharmaceutical degree long abandoned. He'd never get licensed anyway, but he was working in an agricultural research lab, having redirected his degree, and they were fine.

They lived in Saskatchewan, Canada, where he worked for a company called Viterra. We saw them at holidays, and Seth was getting ready to start school, so they were thinking about another baby.

Emmett and Rosalie both worked for Hale & Associates in New York, and they were both very successful attorneys. None of had seen that shit coming. We saw them, too, at holidays, but less frequently than my sister and her family, though they stayed in touch by phone.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor of our home in Elk Ridge, and I saw the bathroom door in the master suite was closed. I walked over and jiggled the handle, finding it locked, but the most horrible fucking sounds were coming from inside so I couldn't leave. "Bella, babe, are you okay?" I asked as I knocked lightly on the door.

I heard her cough and the toilet flush, and then she called, "I'm fine. I'm going to shower, and then I'll get ready to go to your parents' house. I'll be down in a little while."

Our parents, and Marie, and Victor for that matter, were all alive and well. They were five year's older, but not much had changed with any of them.

"Honey, what fell? I heard a thud from my office," I replied, not at all fucking happy she wasn't opening the door. I had no idea what the hell was going on, and well, patience had never been a virtue for me, so I wasn't going to just toss out an 'okay' and walk away. She fucking knew that much about me.

"Jesus! I'm fine. I knocked the hairdryer off the counter as I turning on the shower. Take a fucking breath, okay," she complained. _Well, that hadn't changed._

I went back downstairs to my office to finish up my travel arrangements for a trip to Basle, Switzerland, to attend a conference regarding the monetary crisis in Europe. It was a fucking cocked gun ready to fire, and we were doing our damnedest to get a handle on it. Part of that required I go meet with counterparts from various world-wide banking organizations, along with a contingency from the Board of Governors and the Reserve Bank of New York. I wasn't looking forward to being away for two weeks, and I'd asked Bella to go with me, but she had a show at the gallery Jasper had opened in Chicago which she was supposed to help with, so she couldn't go.

Thinking about the financial crisis in Greece, which had been my initial choice as the destination for our honeymoon, reminded me of our actual honeymoon during her show at Linus Gallery, and I could only smile. We hadn't had time to go to Greece, but I couldn't complain about our time on Catalina.

Thinking about the financial crisis in Greece, which was my initial destination for our honeymoon, reminded me of our actual honeymoon during her show at Linus Gallery, and I could only smile. We didn't have time to go to Greece, so I had to redirect my train of thought, settling on Catalina.

The villa we'd rented was perfect, and it was near a golf course, so I actually played once. Bella went along, but God love her, golf was certainly not her forte. I'd tried to teach her, but she had no desire, nor any talent for the game, so we gave up on it rather quickly, opting to go back to the villa and fuck our brains out.

"_God, this is incredible," she said one evening as the sun was setting in the sky. The place had a balcony off the second floor, and we sat out there each evening and sipped champagne as we watched the spectacular sunsets. _

"_Hell, we could buy this place if you like it," I replied as I adjusted my hard cock that rested against her ass as she sat in a lounger leaning against me. We'd spent the day at the beach, and seeing my gorgeous twenty-year-old wife in a bikini all day had me seven kinds of horny. We'd had dinner delivered, and it was in the warmer in the gourmet kitchen, so we were taking our time to enjoy our last night there. _

_The only bad thing I could say about the trip was I'd gotten a sunburn on my ass because we'd taken a catamaran out the day before, and while the crew was at one end of the damn thing, I'd fucked Bella at the other. _

_I had no goddamn idea skin that had never seen the sun before could burn so quickly, but it did, and I was in a world of hurt that night. The only thing that made it better was having my new wife apply aloe to it, which led to yet another glorious round of humping in the fantastic California king that was situated in the middle of the master suite._

"_I don't think we'd get enough use out of it to buy it. We've both got a lot of school left, but maybe something to consider in the future," she reasoned as she turned to me and placed her champagne glass on the tiled floor of the balcony._

_She took mine from my hand and moved up on her knees, facing me. "So, Mr. Cullen, I know your little behind is sore and red, but as far as I remember, your cock is just fine, right?" she asked coyly. Oh hell, my cock was more than fine._

"_Why, Mrs. Cullen, I think that's something you should check for yourself…maybe with that gorgeous mouth of yours," I taunted, hoping she'd take the hint and give me yet another spectacular blow job. She giggled at me and quickly pulled down my shorts, causing a bit of discomfort as they scraped across my naked ass, but once they were down and my cock was free, she more than made up for it. _

_One thing I prayed I never had to live without was my wife's tongue on my hard cock. The woman could make me see angels when she took me into her mouth, and the fact she never minded and often initiated it only made me love her more. Feeling the back of her throat as I lost control inside her beautiful mouth certainly gave me a very heady feeling…pun definitely intended._

_That night, we made love, and with no near neighbors to bang on the walls like our little apartment in Mishawaka, it was incredible. I looked forward to a lifetime of the same._

"You're not ready," I heard from the door of my office, having been lost in the memory of our wonderful, albeit too short honeymoon.

"I am. It's just dinner with Mom and Dad. They give two shits less. You look gorgeous, by the way," I told her as I turned my desk chair to take her in. She was in a white skirt and a teal top, and her cheeks were sunkissed from the time we'd spent in the pool earlier in the afternoon. Well, her face was a little red, and I was definitely feeling the heat on my shoulders through my t-shirt because we'd had sex in the pool, but I'd take a little sunburn to get the woman to go skinny-dipping with me. It was all I wanted, and after she'd made me a fantastic omelet and French toast for breakfast, we'd spent the rest of the early afternoon in the pool. When the bikini'd come off, so had all bets.

"Okay, if that's what you wanna wear…." She teased which threw up a red flag for my stupid ass.

"Tell me this isn't a birthday party. Twenty-eight isn't a milestone, and I already got my birthday gift from you, which is the only one I want," I complained, seeing the look on her face. Yep…it was a fucking party. I'd told them and told them, and nobody fucking ever listened to me.

She walked over to where I sat and plopped down on my lap. "Now, don't be that way. It's supposed to be a surprise. Katie, Garrett and Seth came down, and Em and Rose are supposed to be there. Mom and Dad, and even Gran and Victor are coming. Alice and Jasper are going to try to make it, though with the show, they're not sure, but it's a party," she whispered against my neck before she sucked on the skin near my collarbone, causing my eyes to roll back in my head and my hands to plant themselves on her ass. Hell, she'd won the war before the battle ever began.

"Fine, I'll go change," I relented. She giggled and climbed off my lap, and I ran upstairs to find a pair of khakis, a green polo shirt, and a small rectangular box wrapped in paper with candles on it waiting for me. I'd never seen any of it.

"Bella, where'd the…" I began as I slipped off my shorts.

"They're part of your gift. Just put them on," she called up the stairs. I laughed. We'd always been able to pick up on each other's thoughts so much that sentences didn't have to be finished.

I picked up the box. "Babe, what's in the…" I started.

"Just open the fucking thing," she yelled from deeper in the house. I heard banging in the kitchen, and I pulled the paper off the box, wondering what she could possible give me for a gift. I had everything I'd ever need.

I opened the box and found a pair of tiny pink socks and a pair of tiny blue socks inside. I had no fucking idea what they were. They were too goddamn small to fit on the head of my golf clubs.

"Bella, what the hell…" I yelled and stopped, waiting for an answer. All I heard was laughing.

I picked up the socks and fitted them over my fingers, wondering what they were. They were really tiny, and I couldn't imagine why she'd…why would I need…I wouldn't ever need…who would need…_Oh!_ Oh, hell, no one but a baby would need anything that small.

I saw a piece of folded paper resting at the bottom of the box, and I pulled it out. I opened it and it read,

_**Happy New Year, Daddy!**_

I opened my mouth to yell again, but I decided that was ridiculous, so I ran downstairs to find her in the kitchen finishing up some sort of salad. She went to the refrigerator and pulled off a grainy picture of something, handing it to me. "What the hell is this?" I asked.

"You graduated from your doctoral program with a 4.0, Mr. Summa Cum Laude. Figure it out," she called as she took a bite of her salad and cringed a bit, grabbing a glass of water and taking a big gulp, watching me as I looked at the gray and lighter gray paper. I had no fucking idea what it was.

"Okay, you've proven that book smarts don't translate to common sense. What the hell is going on?" I asked, holding up all of the little pieces of evidence she'd given me for her to decipher what the fuck she was trying to tell me, and praying it was what I wanted to hear.

"Oh, for God's sake. Baby booties…a sonogram picture…me puking my guts out not half an hour ago…a fucking note stating quite clearly you're going to be a father after the first of the year. Hell, I'd draw you a picture, but the sonogram should be clear enough. Edward, my dear, dense as hell, husband, I'm pregnant," she announced in exasperation.

I fell into a kitchen chair looking between the clues and her glowing face, and I laughed. The woman was maddeningly perfect.

"You couldn't just say those two words? Wait, you gave me two sets of socks. Are there twins?" I asked nervously. _Hell, I wasn't ready for that._

"Oh, God no. As far as I know there's only one, but we don't know if it's a boy or girl, so I gave you a set of each," she explained, causing me to laugh even more. I rose from my seat on unstable legs feeling completely befuddled by the news. It was the best news I'd heard in a while, but it didn't seem real. We'd only been trying for a few months, and after Bella went off the pill, we were told it could take up to a year. Apparently, we were savants in the baby-making department.

I picked her up and placed her on the counter so I could look into those big damn brown eyes that had stolen my heart years prior, and I smiled. "So, Mrs. Cullen, we're going to have a little Cullen running around after the first of the year?"

She laughed, throwing her head back, giving me the glorious access to her amazing neck, which I didn't hesitate to take advantage of, swirling my tongue around a spot that I loved which was just off to the left, mid-way down. All laughing stopped as her hands found my hair, pulling me closer. My hands found their favorite spots on her gorgeous breasts, feeling her flinch as I pinched her nipples through her bra. I pulled back and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" I asked nervously.

"Nothing, they're just a little sensitive. We need to go, babe," she remarked as she looked at the kitchen clock. I turned my head to the right and saw it was just after 4:00 PM, and I supposed there was an arrival time in place, so I didn't argue. I'd never fucking win anyway. Hell, it didn't matter. My wife was pregnant, and it was the best fucking birthday in the world.

##

"With the inside of your foot," I instructed our six-year-old son as we were kicking the soccer ball around the back yard waiting for Bella to return from her latest trip. She didn't go away very often, but she'd accepted an assignment from "Sports Illustrated" for the swimsuit issue, and fuck, if I didn't want to go. Not because of the models, because hell, they didn't hold a candle to my wife, but because of the location. They were doing it in Catalina, and I envisioned a second honeymoon, but a six-year-old and a three-year-old weren't exactly conducive to romance.

Will, our first born, was in first grade, and Kelsey, our three-year old was in pre-school. Bella had been gone for a week, and while I loved spending time with my kids, I missed my wife.

I heard the outside speakers come on before I turned to see her. I heard the splash in the pool, and I knew exactly what was going on. I grabbed my kids around the waist and ran back across the yard to the pool gate. I put Will down and flipped the latch, seeing my Bella emerge from the water, wet hair slicked back and looking all kinds of gorgeous.

"Well, hello family," she called. Will was in the pool in his clothes before I could grab him, and Kelsey followed him soon after, jumping into Bella's arms from the side like she'd done many times before. The child was a fucking fish.

I kicked off my sneakers and pulled off my socks and t-shirt, jumping in after them. When I surfaced, Bella had a huge smile on her face as she moved my hair back from my forehead with a laugh.

"I guess I've been missed," she called as I took her and Kelsey into my arms with Will hanging off my back.

"Oh, you bet your gorgeous ass you have," I told her as I moved my right hand to that gorgeous ass, hearing my son laughing in my ear. It was absolutely perfect. It was our life, crazy as hell, but it was perfect.

When Will had been born, Charlie Swan told me to count my blessings. I did every fucking day, and he was right. I was a blessed man, and I had a lot of reasons to be grateful. I prayed I had the sense my wife did to never take anything for granted. It was all a great gift…

That's what HE SAID.

~Fin~

\\\

_**E/N: As my grandma used to say, "That's all there is and there ain't no more." I hope you were entertained, enraged, enthralled, and entrigued. (I know…intrigued starts with an "I" but I was on a roll.**_

_**Well, don't back out on me now. Can't wait to hear from you. Love you all and look forward to maybe taking another trip with you!**_

_**Thank you so much for reading.**_

_**For the last time…xoxo**_


	29. Chapter 29

_UPDATE: I KNOW IT DISAPPEARED FOR AN EVENING, BUT WHEN I FIGURED IT OUT, I REPOSTED IT IN ITS ENTIRETY. UNFORTUNATELY, I LOST ALL MY REVIEWS, BUT I HAVE NO EXPLANATION. IF YOU'RE NEW TO IT, THANK YOU FOR READING. IF YOUR SOMEONE WHO FOLLOWED IT AND THEN SAID WTF? WELL, I'M WITH YOU. ANYWHO..._

_Just a note to say that "She Said…He Said" has been nominated for Top Ten Completed Fics for October 2012 on www . twifanfictionrecs . com. If you're enjoyed what you read, would you please do me a favor and vote?_

_If you liked the story, I'd appreciate a vote. Voting ends in December._

_Oh, and I've got something up my sleeve for all of you angst lovers. It should be coming soon! _

_Till next time…xoxo_


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